Part 22 (2/2)

The lawyer smiled, and accepted the kindness, though he left the delicacy untouched; and Mauleverer, whose soul was in his plate, saw not the heartless rejection.

Meanwhile the youthful beauty had already entered the theatre of pleasure, and was now seated with the squire at the upper end of the half-filled ball-room.

A gay lady of the fas.h.i.+on at that time, and of that half and half rank to which belonged the aristocracy of Bath,--one of those curious persons we meet with in the admirable novels of Miss Burney, as appertaining to the order of fine ladies,--made the trio with our heiress and her father, and pointed out to them by name the various characters that entered the apartments. She was still in the full tide of scandal, when an unusual sensation was visible in the environs of the door; three strangers of marked mien, gay dress, and an air which, though differing in each, was in all alike remarkable for a sort of ”das.h.i.+ng” a.s.surance, made their entree. One was of uncommon height, and possessed of an exceedingly fine head of hair; another was of a more quiet and unpretending aspect, but nevertheless he wore upon his face a supercilious yet not ill-humoured expression; the third was many years younger than his companions, strikingly handsome in face and figure, altogether of a better taste in dress, and possessing a manner that, though it had equal ease, was not equally noticeable for impudence and swagger.

”Who can those be?” said Lucy's female friend, in a wondering tone. ”I never saw them before,--they must be great people,--they have all the airs of persons of quality! Dear, how odd that I should not know them!”

While the good lady, who, like all good ladies of that stamp, thought people of quality had airs, was thus lamenting her ignorance of the new-comers, a general whisper of a similar import was already circulating round the room, ”Who are they?” and the universal answer was, ”Can't tell,--never saw them before!”

Our strangers seemed by no means displeased with the evident and immediate impression they had made. They stood in the most conspicuous part of the room, enjoying among themselves a low conversation, frequently broken by fits of laughter,--tokens, we need not add, of their supereminently good breeding. The handsome figure of the youngest stranger, and the simple and seemingly unconscious grace of his att.i.tudes were not, however, unworthy of the admiration he excited; and even his laughter, rude as it really was, displayed so dazzling a set of teeth, and was accompanied by such brilliant eyes, that before he had been ten minutes in the room there was scarcely a young lady under thirty-nine not disposed to fall in love with him.

Apparently heedless of the various remarks which reached their ears, our strangers, after they had from their station sufficiently surveyed the beauties of the ball, strolled arm-in-arm through the rooms. Having sauntered through the ball and card rooms, they pa.s.sed the door that led to the entrance pa.s.sage, and gazed, with other loiterers, upon the new-comers ascending the stairs. Here the two younger strangers renewed their whispered conversation, while the eldest, who was also the tallest one, carelessly leaning against the wall, employed himself for a few moments in thrusting his fingers through his hair. In finis.h.i.+ng this occupation, the peculiar state of his rules forced itself upon the observation of our gentleman, who, after gazing for some moments on an envious rent in the right ruffle, muttered some indistinct words, like ”the c.o.c.k of that confounded pistol,” and then tucked up the mutilated ornament with a peculiarly nimble motion of the fingers of his left hand; the next moment, diverted by a new care, the stranger applied his digital members to the arranging and caressing of a remarkably splendid brooch, set in the bosom of a s.h.i.+rt the rude texture of which formed a singular contrast with the magnificence of the embellishment and the fineness of the one ruffle suffered by our modern Hyperion to make its appearance beneath his cinnamon-coloured coatsleeve. These little personal arrangements completed, and a dazzling snuff-box released from the confinement of a side-pocket, tapped thrice, and lightened of two pinches of its t.i.tillating luxury, the stranger now, with the guardian eye of friends.h.i.+p, directed a searching glance to the dress of his friends. There all appeared meet for his strictest scrutiny, save, indeed, that the supercilious-looking stranger having just drawn forth his gloves, the lining of his coat-pocket which was rather soiled into the bargain--had not returned to its internal station; the tall stranger, seeing this little inelegance, kindly thrust three fingers with a sudden and light dive into his friend's pocket, and effectually repulsed the forwardness of the intrusive lining. The supercilious stranger no sooner felt the touch than he started back, and whispered to his officious companion,--

”What! among friends, Ned! Fie now; curb the nature of thee for one night at least.”

Before he of the flowing locks had time to answer, the master of the ceremonies, who had for the last three minutes been eying the strangers through his gla.s.s, stepped forward with a sliding bow; and the handsome gentleman, taking upon himself the superiority and precedence over his comrades, was the first to return the courtesy. He did this with so good a grace and so pleasing an expression of countenance that the censor of bows was charmed at once, and with a second and more profound salutation announced himself and his office. ”You would like to dance probably, gentlemen?” he asked, glancing at each, but directing his words to the one who had prepossessed him.

”You are very good,” said the comely stranger; ”and, for my part, I shall be extremely indebted to you for the exercise of your powers in my behalf. Allow me to return with you to the ball-room, and I can there point out to you the objects of my especial admiration.”

The master of the ceremonies bowed as before, and he and his new acquaintance strolled into the ball-room, followed by the two comrades of the latter.

”Have you been long in Bath, sir?” inquired the monarch of the rooms.

”No, indeed! we only arrived this evening.”

”From London?”

”No; we made a little tour across the country.”

”Ah! very pleasant, this fine weather.”

”Yes; especially in the evenings.”

”Oho! romantic!” thought the man of b.a.l.l.s, as he rejoined aloud, ”Why, the nights are agreeable, and the moon is particularly favourable to us.”

”Not always!” quoth the stranger.

”True, true, the night before last was dark; but, in general, surely the moon has been very bright.”

The stranger was about to answer, but checked himself, and simply bowed his head as in a.s.sent.

”I wonder who they are!” thought the master of the ceremonies. ”Pray, sir,” said he, in a low tone, ”is that gentle man, that tall gentleman, any way related to Lord ----------? I cannot but think I see a family likeness.”

”Not in the least related to his lords.h.i.+p,” answered the stranger; ”but he is of a family that have made a noise in the world; though he, as well as my other friend, is merely a commoner!” laying a stress on the last word.

”Nothing, sir, can be more respectable than a commoner of family,”

returned the polite Mr. -------, with a bow.

<script>