“Oh, yes,” said my partner, “great manie; but they are not all here; the little girls are gone to bed. Do you then admire our young ladie?”
This was rather a pointed question; but I replied without hesitation, “Oh, excessively; there appear to be some lovely creatures amongst them, and (giving a flourish) with charms enough to move the soul of an anchorite.”
“Oh,” said Miss Rosa, with a smile and downward look, wishing to be complimentary, “I think dey are more fond of the military.”
I was on the point of emitting that expressive note of astonishment—whew! but checked myself.
“I think,” said I, “you rather mistook me, though I can hardly regret that which has been the cause of so flattering an admission, but I alluded to an ascetic.”
“Asiatic!” said the young lady, with some hauteur, and a toss of the head, “no native come to these ball, I assure you.”
I could not suppress an emphatic “humph!”
The fiddles now began again; I presented my arm, divested myself, though with reluctance, of my trusty Solingen blade, and took my place in the set. A tremendous long set it was, and after slaving for half an hour, I found myself at the head of it. Grundy, with a face like that of the Marquess of Granby on a sign-post, standing next to me, and streaming like the apotheosis of a river god.
“Well, how do you get on, Grundy?” said I.
“Oh, it’s cruel hot work,” said he, with a sigh, which was perfectly heart-rending.