In all the success of the season Anna had never had such a dazzling triumph as upon this evening. She seemed to turn all heads with her bewitching beauty, until at length her own brain seem dizzied with her conquests. She grew capricious and exasperating. Alexander hovered around her; and he would not have left her for a moment that evening if she had not, with a furtive and angry flash of her blazing blue eyes, peremptorily ordered him to leave her. And to complete his mortification and despair, she beckoned Richard Hammond to come to her, and she retained him in her suite for the rest of the evening.
Alexander was half maddened by this conduct of his cousin. His blood boiled when he saw her smiling upon his rival; and when he saw that rival basking in those smiles; and he would have liked to have throttled Richard then and there; but he knew that it would never do to make a scene in that place; so he stood scowling and muttering curses, and planning vengeance.
General Lyon, who for once had been tempted to come out in the evening for the sake of being present at this great ball, and meeting many of his old friends whom he knew would be there, saw the provoking behavior of the young pair and resolved that as soon as he should have them at home he would favor the coquette and the rival with a good sound reprimanding lecture. But the festivities were kept up all night; and so the old soldier, who broke down at about one o’clock, was forced to retire and leave the beauty and her rival lovers to their own devices.
Not, however, without whispering to each of the delinquents in turn:
“I shall want to see you at my rooms to-morrow at twelve noon.”
It was broad daylight when the ball broke up.
Anna was at length under the necessity of giving Richard his congee, and resigning herself to the charge of Alexander, who, having escorted her to the ball, was of course obliged to take her home.
On reaching her lodgings, Anna went to bed to sleep off her fatigue. And Alexander, who had hardly spoken during the drive home, hurried off to his rooms at the Blank House, to procure what rest he could before the hour at which he was to wait upon his uncle.
At twelve o’clock precisely, the old soldier, having breakfasted, was seated in his private parlor waiting for his fractious young people.
Anna was the first to come in. And her grandfather was just clearing his throat to begin upon her when the door was opened and Mr. Richard Hammond was announced.