CHAPTER IX. THE BALL

“Oh,butyouknowIneveragreewithyouonthosepoints.Now,waitabit,andI’lltellyoumyprincipaladmirers—thosewhomadethemselvesveryconspicuousthatnightandafter:forI’vebeentotwopartiessince.Unfortunatelythetwonoblemen,LordG——andLordF——,weremarried,orImighthavecondescendedtobeparticularlygracioustothemasitwas,Ididnot:thoughLordF——,whohateshiswife,wasevidentlymuchstruckwithme.Heaskedmetodancewithhimtwice—heisacharmingdancer,by-the-by,andsoamI:youcan’tthinkhowwellIdid—Iwasastonishedatmyself.Mylordwasverycomplimentarytoo—rathertoomuchsoinfact—andIthoughtpropertobealittlehaughtyandrepellentbutIhadthepleasureofseeinghisnasty,crosswifereadytoperishwithspiteandvexation—” “Oh,MissMurray!youdon’tmeantosaythatsuchathingcouldreallygiveyoupleasure?Howevercrossor—” “Well,Iknowit’sverywrong—butnevermind!Imeantobegoodsometime—onlydon’tpreachnow,there’sagoodcreature.Ihaven’ttoldyouhalfyet.Letmesee.Oh!IwasgoingtotellyouhowmanyunmistakeableadmirersIhad:—SirThomasAshbywasone,—SirHughMelthamandSirBroadleyWilsonareoldcodgers,onlyfitcompanionsforpapaandmamma.SirThomasisyoung,rich,andgaybutanuglybeast,nevertheless:however,mammasaysIshouldnotmindthatafterafewmonths’acquaintance.Then,therewasHenryMeltham,SirHugh’syoungersonrathergood-looking,andapleasantfellowtoflirtwith:butbeingayoungerson,thatisallheisgoodforthentherewasyoungMr.Green,richenough,butofnofamily,andagreatstupidfellow,amerecountrybooby!andthen,ourgoodrector,Mr.Hatfield:anhumbleadmirerheoughttoconsiderhimselfbutIfearhehasforgottentonumberhumilityamonghisstockofChristianvirtues.” “WasMr.Hatfieldattheball?” “Yes,tobesure.Didyouthinkhewastoogoodtogo?” “Ithoughtbemightconsideritunclerical.” “Bynomeans.Hedidnotprofanehisclothbydancingb