She then flew to a form, and eagerly seated herself where she perceived the first vacancy, to stop any debate, and enforce his consent.
The dance, which had been delayed by a dispute about the tune, was now beginning. Edgar, looking after her with affected reproach, but real admiration, asked the hand of Eugenia; who gave it with readiness and pleasure; for, though contented as a spectatress, she experienced an agreeable surprise in becoming a party engaged.
Camilla, happy in her own good humour, now looked at her neighbours; one of which was an elderly lady, who, wholly employed in examining and admiring the performance of her own daughters, saw nothing else in the room. The other was a gentleman, much distinguished by his figure and appearance, and dressed so completely in the extreme of fashion, as more than to border upon foppery. The ease and negligence of his air denoted a self-settled superiority to all about him; yet, from time to time, there was an archness in the glance of his eye, that promised, under a deep and wilful veil of conceit and affectation, a secret disposition to deride the very follies he was practising. He was now lounging against the wainscoat; with one hand on his side, and the other upon his eye-lids, occupying the s.p.a.ce, without using the seat, to the left of Camilla.
Miss Margland, perceiving what she regarded as a fair vacancy, made up to the spot, and saying, "Sir, by your leave," was preparing to take possession of the place, when the gentleman, as if without seeing her, dropt suddenly into it himself, and, pouring a profusion of _eau suave_ upon his handkerchief, exclaimed: "What a vastly bad room this is for dancing!"
Camilla, concluding herself addressed, turned round to him; but, seeing he was sniffing up the _eau suave_, without looking at her, imagined he meant to speak to Miss Margland.
Miss Margland was of the same opinion, and, with some pique at his seizing thus her intended seat, rather sharply answered: "Yes, sir, and it"s a vast bad room for _not_ dancing; for if every body would dance that ought, there would be accommodation sufficient for other people."
"Incomparably well observed!" cried he, collecting some bonbons from a bonboniere, and swallowing one after another with great rapidity: "But won"t you sit down? You must be enormously tired. Let me supplicate you to sit down."
Miss Margland, supposing he meant to make amends for his inattention, by delivering up the place, civilly thanked him, and said she should not be sorry, for she had stood a good while.
"Have you, indeed?" cried he, sprinkling some jessamine drops upon his hands; "how horribly abominable? Why don"t some of those Mercuries, those Ganymedes, those waiters, I believe you call them, get you a chair?"
Miss Margland, excessively affronted, turned her back to him; and Camilla made an offer of her own seat; but, as she had been dancing, and would probably dance again, Miss Margland would not let her rise.
"Shall I call to one of those Barbarians, those Goths, those Vandals?"
cried the same gentleman, who now was spirting lavender water all about him, with grimaces that proclaimed forcibly his opinion of the want of perfume in the room: "Do pray let me harangue them a little for you upon their inordinate want of sensibility."
Miss Margland deigned not any answer; but of that he took no notice, and presently called out, though without raising his voice, "Here, Mr.
Waiter! Purveyor, Surveyor, or whatsoever other t.i.tle "_please thine ear_," art thou deaf? why dost not bring this lady a chair? Those people are most amazing hard of hearing! Shall I call again? Waiter, I say!"
still speaking rather lower than louder; "Don"t I stun you by this shocking vociferation?"
"Sir, you"re vastly--obliging!" cried Miss Margland, unable longer to hold silence, yet with a look and manner that would much better have accorded with vastly--_impertinent_.
She then pursued a waiter herself, and procured a chair.
Casting his eyes next upon Camilla, he examined her with much attention.
Abashed, she turned away her head; but not choosing to lose his object, he called it back again, by familiarly saying, "How is Sir Hugh?"
A good deal surprised, she exclaimed, "Do you know my uncle, sir?"
"Not in the least, ma"am," he coolly answered.
Camilla, much wondering, was then forced into conversation with Miss Margland: but, without paying any regard to her surprise, he presently said, "It"s most extremely worth your while to take a glance at that inimitably good figure. Is it not exquisite? Can you suppose any thing beyond it?"
Camilla, looking at the person to whom he pointed, and who was sufficiently ludicrous, from an air of vulgar solemnity, and a dress stiffly new, though completely old-fashioned, felt disposed to join in his laugh, had she not been disconcerted by the mingled liberty and oddity of his attack.
"Sir," said Miss Margland, winking at her to be silent, though eager to answer in her stead, "the mixt company one always meets at these public b.a.l.l.s, makes them very unfit for ladies of fashion, for there"s no knowing who one may either dance with or speak to."
"Vastly true, ma"am," cried he, superciliously dropping his eyes, not to look at her.
Miss Margland, perceiving this, bridled resentfully, and again talked on with Camilla; till another exclamation interrupted them. "O pray," cried he, "I do entreat you look at that group! Is it not past compare? If ever you held a pencil in your life, I beg and beseech you to take a memorandum of that tall may-pole. Have you ever seen any thing so excessively delectable?"
Camilla could not forbear smiling; but Miss Margland, taking all reply upon herself, said: "Caricatures, sir, are by no means pleasing for young ladies to be taking, at their first coming out: one does not know who may be next, if once they get into that habit!"
"Immeasurably well spoken, ma"am," returned he; and, rising with a look of disgust, he sauntered to another part of the room.
Miss Margland, extremely provoked, said she was sure he was some Irish fortune-hunter, dressed out in all he was worth; and charged Camilla to take no manner of notice of him.
When the two second dances were over, Edgar, conducting Eugenia to Miss Margland, said to Camilla: "Now, at least, if there is not a spell against it, will you dance with me?"
"And if there is one, too," cried she, gaily; "for I am perfectly disposed to help breaking it."
She rose, and they were again going to take their places, when Miss Margland, reproachfully calling after Edgar, demanded what he had done with Miss Lynmere?
At the same moment, led by Major Cerwood, who was paying her in full all the arrears of that gallantry Miss Margland had taught her to regret hitherto missing, Indiana joined them; the Major, in making his bow, lamenting the rules of the a.s.sembly, that compelled him to relinquish her hand.
"Mr. Mandlebert," said Miss Margland, "you see Miss Lynmere is again disengaged."
"Yes, ma"am," answered Edgar, drawing Camilla away; "and every gentleman in the room will be happy to see it too."
"Stop, Miss Camilla!" cried Miss Margland; "I thought, Mr. Mandlebert, Sir Hugh had put Miss Lynmere under your protection?"
"O it does not signify!" said Indiana, colouring high with a new raised sense of importance; "I don"t at all doubt but one or other of the officers will take care of me."
Edgar, though somewhat disconcerted, would still have proceeded; but Camilla, alarmed by the frowns of Miss Margland, begged him to lead out her cousin, and, promising to be in readiness for the next two dances, glided back to her seat. He upbraided her in vain; Miss Margland looked pleased, and Indiana was so much piqued, that he found it necessary to direct all his attention to appeasing her, as he led her to join the dance.
A gentleman now, eminently distinguished by personal beauty, approached the ladies that remained, and, in the most respectful manner, began conversing with Miss Margland; who received his attentions so gratefully, that, when he told her he only waited to see the master of the ceremonies at leisure, in order to have the honour of begging the hand of one of her young ladies, his civilities so conquered all her pride of etiquette, that she a.s.sured him there was no sort of occasion for such a formality, with a person of his appearance and manners; and was bidding Camilla rise, who was innocently preparing to obey, when, to the surprise of them all, he addressed himself to Eugenia.
"There!" cried Miss Margland, exultingly, when they were gone; "that gentleman is completely a gentleman. I saw it from the beginning. How different to that impertinent fop that spoke to us just now! He has the politeness to take out Miss Eugenia, because he sees plainly n.o.body else will think of it, except just Mr. Mandlebert, or some such old acquaintance."
Major Cerwood was now advancing towards Camilla, with that species of smiling and bowing manner, which is the usual precursor of an invitation to a fair partner; when the gentleman whom Miss Margland had just called an impertinent fop, with a sudden swing, not to be eluded, cast himself between the Major and Camilla, as if he had not observed his approach; and spoke to her in a voice so low, that, though she concluded he asked her to dance, she could not distinctly hear a word he said.
A good deal confused, she looked at him for an explanation; while the Major, from her air of attention, supposing himself too late, retreated.
Her new beau then, carelessly seating himself by her side, indolently said: "What a heat! I have not the most distant idea how you can bear it!"
Camilla found it impossible to keep her countenance at such a result of a whisper, though she complied with the injunctions of Miss Margland, in avoiding mutual discourse with a stranger of so showy an appearance.
"Yet they are dancing on," he continued, "just as if the Greenland snows were inviting their exercise! I should really like to find out what those people are made of. Can you possibly imagine their composition?"
Heedless of receiving no answer, he soon after added: "I am vastly glad you don"t like dancing."
"Me?" cried Camilla, surprised out of her caution.
"Yes; you hold it in antipathy, don"t you?"
"No, indeed! far from it."
"Don"t you really?" cried he, starting back; "that"s amazingly extraordinary! surprising in the extreme! Will you have the goodness to tell me what you like in it?"
"Sir," interfered Miss Margland, "there"s nothing but what"s very natural in a young lady"s taking pleasure in an elegant accomplishment; provided she is secure from any improper partner, or company."
"Irrefragably just, ma"am!" answered he; affecting to take a pinch of snuff, and turning his head another way.