"I am come about some blush roses," said Margaret, holding out a beautiful bouquet. "I do not know how it is, Harriet, but I found these on my toilet when I went up to dress."
"And who do you think gave me these carnations," asked Harriet, pointing to a splendid cl.u.s.ter of those flowers placed in a gla.s.s vase.
"The fairies have matched our tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, that is all, Margaret. Blush roses for you--carnations for me."
"No, but is it your doing, Harriet?" asked Margaret earnestly.
"Faith, no;" said Harriet laughing, "who do you suspect; Mr. Humphries has not the wit, though you have so barbarously--"
"Harriet! do not accuse me."
"I do not know who would think me worth a bouquet," said Harriet, going composedly on with her toilet; "perhaps young Vesey, or Sir Hawarth Fane.
I should not wonder if it were Sir Hawarth. I hope not, though."
"But it is so very disagreeable," said Margaret, "to be obliged to any one for a bouquet. I had much rather not wear it."
"Nonsense, child, it is quite proper--flowers, you know; if it were jewels it would be quite another thing. I dare say, after all, it comes from George Gage; eh! Charlotte?"
"La, Miss Conway! how you do startle one."
"Yes, he bribed you to place these two nosegays on our tables."
"Well, Miss Conway, it is no use denying anything to you."
"There, Margaret, now your mind is at rest, go back and dress. What splendid hair you have, child."
Mr. Singleton was loud in his commendations of the two young ladies. He was to accompany them. Mr. Gage and Mr. Humphries went together. It appeared to Margaret that Mr. Singleton was asleep in his corner of the carriage, and she could not forbear whispering to Harriet. "Do be civil to Mr. Gage, to-night."
"Why, so I am always, am I not?" said Harriet, "civil as an orange."
"Oh! not to-day at dinner."
"I am sure I said nothing," said Harriet.
"No, it was your manner."
"Well, he was rude too," returned Harriet, "why did he not ask me to dance?"
"Because," said Margaret, "he took it for granted you would refuse him."
"He had no business to take it for granted," was Harriet"s perverse reply; "if he does ask me now, I shall certainly decline."
It was an excellent ball; the room was very prettily got up, and all the families of any consideration, far and near, were present. Mr. Singleton and the two ladies became at once an object of great attention. They were remarkably well dressed, and their style of beauty, so opposite and so distinguished, that every one was employed in pa.s.sing an opinion upon them. Several people came up to Mr. Singleton, and asked eagerly who was the beautiful girl with the crown of blush roses. Mr. Singleton informed them that she was a Miss Capel--very good family--charming girl--excellent fortune--great friend of Harriet"s. Almost all the ladies present disliked Harriet, and were delighted at the opportunity to set up a rival beauty. Had Margaret been poor, this would have been difficult; the men would have called her a pretty girl, and pa.s.sed on to dance with somebody else; but as it was, Margaret was p.r.o.nounced the belle of the ball-room, and besieged with requests for her hand from all quarters. She was engaged for the first quadrille, and was quite puzzled to remember and distinguish the numerous applicants for the succeeding dances. Mr. Gage entreated her to remember that her promise to dance with him was of very long standing, and having renewed it for the next waltz, he turned to Harriet, and begged for the honour of her hand. She was talking with her uncle, and just looked round with the words "Engaged, Mr. Gage." He bowed, and stepped back, and one of her numerous acquaintances coming up at the moment, she walked off with him to the dancers.
Margaret danced very quietly and well; Harriet"s dancing was superb. She was light as air, and the precision of her steps, and the foreign expression and grace of her movements, excited universal attention.
When waltzing began, and she floated round the room on the arm of a young Spaniard who had just been introduced to her, and who had been staying at Sir Evan Conway"s, there was quite a crowd collected to watch her and her partner. Directly Harriet became aware of this, she stopped, retired within the circle with her companion, and there stood talking with him in Spanish until the dance was over. This was not from any feeling of bashfulness, but because she did not choose to exhibit for the amus.e.m.e.nt of the company.
"In England," as she said haughtily to her partner, "if one dances a little better than a bear, one is actually mobbed in a ball-room!"
As soon as the waltz was over, the young Count led Harriet to her seat, and stood politely by her side, holding her flowers, and talking of the carnations of Andalusia. Harriet selected one of the finest, pulled it out of her bouquet, and gave it him. The Count very respectfully kissed her hand (a common courtesy in Spain), and placed the flower in his coat.
It may be supposed how excited all the ladies were. They _never had_ seen in all their lives, such very indecorous behaviour in a public room. They really thought she ought to be desired to withdraw; and their anger was all the more pointed, as the Conde de F. was very distinguished in his appearance--was interesting from having taken an active part in some of the late Spanish squabbles, and was such a waltzer as no Englishman need ever hope to be.
George Gage, who was standing beside Margaret, after looking arrogantly into every corner of the room, said that he had formerly thought the T---- ball very respectable, but that really to-night there was hardly a soul that one knew; and such a very--singular--set of beings, that he wondered how the two or three ladies who were present could find a change of partners. That, perhaps, as they knew n.o.body, Miss Capel would not object to honour him by taking another turn with him, when the next quadrille was over;--there was this advantage in waltzing, that you were not mixed up during the dance with Heaven knows who; and obliged, perhaps, to give your hand to a hair-dresser in pa.s.sing. Margaret looked very arch during this speech, but she offered no opposition to Mr.
Gage"s remarks. She was, still, half afraid of him. She could not help seeing that he interrupted himself half-a-dozen times during his speech to bow to different people who had the honour of his acquaintance; and the thought crossed her mind, that a hair-dresser was not very likely to gain admittance to a county ball.
Every moment some one or other was coming up to Harriet to solicit her hand. Some she refused, some she evaded, some she put on her list. She was engaged in a sparkling conversation with the Spanish n.o.bleman, which grew every moment more and more animated.
The Conde had come to the ball solely for the chance of meeting the Senorita, and she seemed determined to make it as agreeable to him as possible.
Mr. Singleton brought Margaret a partner, who had been very eager for an introduction. He was next to Harriet in the Mazourka, which was still rare enough to excite a good deal of attention. Every one not engaged in the figure stood round to watch the dancers. Mr. Gage, with Margaret"s bouquet in his hand, leaned against a pillar, following with his eyes the graceful movements of Harriet and the Conde. A party, who had just entered the room, made their way into the front of the circle, and as Margaret was standing while Harriet and her partner were in the centre, the Conde on his knee, and Harriet pa.s.sing round him, she heard a loud a.s.sured voice exclaim, "Heavens, Collins! what a handsome man."
She turned her head, and beheld a large middle-aged woman, with red hair, and a very plain face, extravagantly dressed, and leaning on the arm of a very young man, apparently under twenty. She was in a lace dress of great value, with a gold cord and ta.s.sels round her waist, and her arms loaded with bracelets, while the front of her dress was decorated with beetles, locusts, scorpions, and other reptiles in jewellery, after a fashion that was then making a great noise in Paris.
The young man held a gold pomander-box and a flacon, with the lady"s bouquet and handkerchief: an elderly man stood a little behind with an Indian shawl over his arm.
"They are foreigners," said Mr. Collins, directing his gla.s.s towards Harriet and the Conde.
"Is he not handsome?" asked the lady.
"I think the girl the best looking," returned the young man.
"No--do you? Fan me, Collins, there"s a good soul."
Mr. Collins unfurled her fan, fringed with swansdown, and proceeded to fan the "large lady."
"Is there any one here one knows?" said the lady, turning her head a little towards the elderly man.
"No, my dear, I think not," he replied.
"Ah, dear Paris!" said the lady, with a powerful sigh.
"Ah!" returned Mr. Collins.
"Could not we sit down somewhere?" asked the lady.
Way was made for her through the circle, and she sank on a bench. Mr.
Collins stood fanning her.
"Do go and look for some ice, Collins, I am perishing with heat," said the lady.
"I"ll try," replied the obedient Mr. Collins.
"That"s a pretty modest girl--there--with the blush roses," said the lady, addressing her husband.
"Yes, my love," returned the good gentleman.
"What time did you order the carriage?"