When dinner was over the three young people adjourned to the ball-room,
leaving Lady Angleby and Mr. Fairfax together. Miss Burleigh and Bessie
began by walking up and down arm-in-arm, then they took a few turns in a
waltz, and after that Miss Burleigh said, "Cecil, Miss Fairfax and you
are a perfect height to waltz together; try the floor, and I will go and
play with the music-room door open. You will hear very well." She went
off quickly the moment she had spoken, and Bessie could not refuse to
try the floor, but she had a downcast, conscious air under her impromptu
partner's observation. Mr. Cecil Burleigh was in a gay, light mood, as
became him on this public occasion of his election triumph, and he was
further elated by Miss Fairfax's amiable condescension in waltzing with
him at his sister's behest; and as it was certainly a pleasure to any
girl who loved waltzing to waltz with him, they went on until the music
stopped at the sound of carriage-wheels.
"You are fond of dancing, Miss Fairfax?" said her cavalier.
"Oh yes," said Bessie with a pretty upward glance. She had enjoyed that
waltz extremely; her natural animation was reviving, too buoyant to lie
long under the depression of melancholy, philosophic reverie.
The guests were received in the drawing-room, and began to arrive in
uninterrupted succession. Mr. and Mrs. Tindal, Lord and Lady Eden, Mr.
and Mrs. Philip Raymond, Mr.
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