Margaret Maliphant

								

conversation. But, to tell the truth, I soon forgot him; I was too busy
looking about me.
I could not help wondering where Captain Forrester could be, and I
was quite angry with Joyce for being so dignified and seeming to care
so little. She seemed to be quite engrossed with the Hoad girls,
who sailed in, followed by their father, just late enough to be
fashionable, and to secure a good effect for their smart new frocks.
I am afraid I was not gracious to the Hoads. I could not be so gracious
as Joyce, who took all their patronizing over the concert in the utmost
good faith. I turned away from them, and continued my search for
Joyce's admirer. I disliked them, and I am afraid that I showed it.
But they passed on, Bella, who was the better-looking of the two,
pursued by two town-bred youths asking for a place on her card; Jessie,
the elder, talking with an old lady of title from the seaport town, who
wished her to sing at a charity concert.
They seemed to be very much engrossed; nevertheless, when presently the
band struck up the first waltz, they, as well as many other people in
the room, turned round to look who was dancing it. They put up their
long-handled eye-glasses and fairly stared; for, as soon as the music
began, the squire had walked up to my sister and had asked her to open
the ball with him.
Mother blushed with pleasure and triumph; her dear blue eyes positively
shone. She did not say a word, but I know that if she had spoken she
would have said that she was not surprised.
I was not surprised either, but I was very much annoyed, and I was
not at all in a good temper with Captain Forrester when, two minutes
afterwards, he appeared coming out of the conservatory with Mary
Thorne upon his arm. What had he been about? No wonder that his face
clouded when he saw that he was too late. But it was his own fault;
I was not a bit sorry for him. Mary Thorne was laughing and looking
up half-defiantly in his face. She looked as if she were saying one
of those rough blunt things of which she was so fond; and she might
well say one at this moment to Captain Forrester, although I scarcely
supposed it could be on the topic on which he deserved it.
Could she possibly be chaffing him on having missed the first dance
with my sister? No; for she had had no opportunity of noticing his
devotion to her. She dropped his arm and nodded to him merrily, as
much as to bid him leave her--as much as to say that she knew there
might be better sport elsewhere. And after a word in reply to what she
had said, he did leave her and came across to me.
There was a troubled, preoccupied look on his bright face, which was
scarcely accounted for by the fact that he had missed a dance with
Joyce. He greeted me and sat down beside me without even asking after
father. We sat and watched Joyce float round in the strong grasp of the
squire, but I do not think that we were either of us quite so pleased
at the sight as was mother, upon whose face was joy unalloyed.