Enna turned away with a contemptuous sniff, and Lucy proposed that they should go down to the drawing-room, and try some new music she had just received, until it should be time to dress for the evening.
Herbert lay on a sofa listening to their playing. "Lucy," he said in one of the pauses, "what amus.e.m.e.nts are we to have to-night?--anything beside the harp, piano, and conversation?"
"Dancing, of course. Cad"s fiddle will provide as good music as any one need care for, and this room is large enough for all who will be here. Our party is not to be very large, you know."
"And Elsie, for one, is too pious to dance," sneered Enna.
Elsie colored, but remained silent.
"Oh! I did not think of that!" cried Lucy. "Elsie, do you really think it is a sinful amus.e.m.e.nt?"
"I think it wrong to go to b.a.l.l.s; at least that it would be wrong for me, a professed Christian, Lucy."
"But this will not be a ball, and we"ll have nothing but quiet country dances, or something of that sort, no waltzing or anything at all objectionable. What harm can there be in jumping about in that way more than in another?"
"None that I know of," answered Elsie, smiling. "And I certainly shall not object to others doing as they like, provided I am not asked to take part in it."
"But why not take part, if it is not wrong?" asked Harry, coming in from the veranda.
"Why, don"t you know she never does anything without asking the permission of papa?" queried Enna tauntingly. "But where"s the use of consulting her wishes in the matter, or urging her to take part in the wicked amus.e.m.e.nt?--she"ll have to go to bed at nine o"clock, like any other well-trained child, and we"ll have time enough for our dancing after that."
"Oh, Elsie, must you?--must you really leave us at that early hour?
Why, that"s entirely too bad!" cried the others in excited chorus.
"I shall stay up till ten," answered Elsie quietly, while a deep flush suffused her cheek.
"That is better, but we shall not know how to spare you even that soon," said Harry. "Couldn"t you make it eleven?--that would not be so very late just for once."
"No, for she can"t break her rules, or disobey orders. If she did, papa would be sure to find it out and punish her when she gets home."
"For shame, Enna! that"s quite too bad!" cried Carrie and Lucy in a breath.
Elsie"s color deepened, and there was a flash of anger and scorn in her eyes as she turned for an instant upon Enna. Then she replied firmly, though with a slight tremble of indignation in her tones: "I am not ashamed to own that I do find it both a duty and a pleasure to obey my father, whether he be present or absent. I have confidence, too, in both his wisdom and his love for me. He thinks early hours of great importance, especially to those who are young and growing, and therefore he made it a rule that I shall retire to my room and begin my preparations for bed by nine o"clock. But he gave me leave to stay up an hour later to-night, and I intend to do so."
"I think you are a very good girl, and feel just right about it," said Carrie.
"I wish he had said eleven, I think he might this once," remarked Lucy. "Why, don"t you remember he let you stay up till ten Christmas Eve that time we all spent the holidays at Roselands, which was five years ago?"
"Yes," said Elsie, "but this is Sat.u.r.day night, and as to-morrow is the Sabbath, I should not feel it to be right to stay up later, even if I had permission."
"Why not? it isn"t Sunday till twelve," said Herbert.
"No, but I should be apt to oversleep myself, and be dull and drowsy in church next morning."
"Quite a saint!" muttered Enna, shrugging her shoulders and marching off to the other side of the room.
"Suppose we go and select some flowers for our hair," said Lucy, looking at her watch. ""Twill be tea-time presently, and we"ll want to dress directly after."
"You always were such a dear good girl," whispered Carrie Howard, putting her arm about Elsie"s waist as they left the room.
Enna was quite gorgeous that evening, in a bright-colored silk, trimmed with mult.i.tudinous flounces and many yards of ribbon and gimp.
The young damsel had a decidedly gay taste, and glanced somewhat contemptuously at Elsie"s dress of simple white, albeit "twas of the finest India muslin and trimmed with costly lace. She wore her pearl necklace and bracelets, a broad sash of rich white ribbon; no other ornaments save a half-blown moss rosebud at her bosom, and another amid the glossy ringlets of her hair, their green leaves the only bit of color about her.
"You look like a bride," said Herbert, gazing admiringly upon her.
"Do I?" she answered smiling, as she turned and tripped lightly away; for Lucy was calling to her from the next room.
Herbert"s eyes followed her with a wistful, longing look in them, and he sighed sadly to himself as she disappeared from his view.
Most of the guests came early; among them, Walter and Arthur Dinsmore; Elsie had not seen the latter since his encounter with Mr. Travilla.
He gave her a sullen nod on entering the room, but took no further notice of her.
Chit-chat, promenading and the music of the piano and harp were the order of the evening for a time; then games were proposed, and "Consequences," "How do you like it?" and "Genteel lady, always genteel," afforded much amus.e.m.e.nt. Herbert could join in these, and did with much spirit. But dancing was a favorite pastime with the young people of the neighborhood, and the clock had hardly struck nine when Cadmus and his fiddle were summoned to their aid, chairs and tables were put out of the way, and sets began to form.
Elsie was in great request; the young gentlemen flocked about her, with urgent entreaties that she would join in the amus.e.m.e.nt, each claiming the honor of her hand in one or more sets, but she steadily declined.
A glad smile lighted up Herbert"s countenance, as he saw one and another turn and walk away with a look of chagrin and disappointment.
"Since my misfortune compels me to act the part of a wallflower, I am selfish enough, I own, to rejoice in your decision to be one also," he said gleefully. "Will you take a seat with me on this sofa? I presume your conscience does not forbid you to watch the dancers?"
"No, not at all," she answered, accepting his invitation.
Elsie"s eyes followed with eager interest the swiftly moving forms, but Herbert"s were often turned admiringly upon her. At length he asked if she did not find the room rather warm and close, and proposed that they should go out upon the veranda. She gave a willing a.s.sent and they pa.s.sed quietly out and sat down side by side on a rustic seat.
The full moon shone upon them from a beautiful blue sky, while a refreshing breeze, fragrant with the odor of flowers and pines, gently fanned their cheeks and played among the rich ma.s.ses of Elsie"s hair.
They found a good deal to talk about; they always did, for they were kindred spirits. Their chat was now grave, now gay--generally the latter; for Cad"s music was inspiriting; but whatever the theme of their discourse, Herbert"s eyes were constantly seeking the face of his companion.
"How beautiful you are, Elsie!" he exclaimed at length, in a tone of such earnest sincerity that it made her laugh, the words seemed to rush spontaneously from his lips. "You are always lovely, but to-night especially so."
"It"s the moonlight, Herbert; there"s a sort of witchery about it, that lends beauty to many an object which can boast none of itself."
"Ah, but broad daylight never robs you of yours; you always wear it wherever you are, and however dressed. You look like a bride to-night; I wish you were, and that I were the groom."
Elsie laughed again, this time more merrily than before. "Ah, what nonsense we are talking--we two children," she said. Then starting to her feet as the clock struck ten--"There, it is my bed-time, and I must bid you good-night, pleasant dreams, and a happy awaking."
"Oh, don"t go yet!" he cried, but she was already gone, the skirt of her white dress just disappearing through the open hall door.
She encountered Mrs. Carrington at the foot of the stairs. "My dear child, you are not leaving us already?" she cried.
"Yes, madam; the clock has struck ten."
"Why, you are a second Cinderella."
"I hope not," replied Elsie, laughing. "See, my dress has not changed in the least, but is quite as fresh and nice as ever."
"Ah, true enough! there the resemblance fails entirely. But, my dear child, the refreshments are just coming in, and you must have your share. I had ordered them an hour earlier, but the servants were slow and dilatory, and then the dancing began. Come, can you not wait long enough to partake with us? Surely, ten o"clock is not late."