'Men are stranger still,' she retorted, with a bright smile; 'but here comes our odious Hew—and I promised him this waltz.'
'He imposes on your good-nature; bother the fellow!'
'Our dance, I think,' said Hew, lounging up.
'Number seven,' said Annabelle, affecting to consult her card, while Fotheringhame gave him an impatient stare, for his dislike of Hew was great.
'How handsome your cousin Miss Montgomerie is,' said he.
'She is full of goodness of heart and common sense too,' added Annabelle.
'I hope she will prove a girl of very uncommon sense,' said Fotheringhame.
'In what way?' asked Hew.
'By preferring a Cameronian to any other man,' replied Fotheringhame with perfect coolness; and Annabelle laughed to see the gleam that shot athwart the eyes of Hew, as he swept away with her into the dance, to begin a series of 'cannons' again, and elicit remarks of wrath under many a moustache.
'I don't know what your plans are, old fellow,' said Fotheringhame to Cecil, as their eyes mutually followed Mary, admiringly, through the maze of waltzers, 'but, if I were in your place, I would write to Sir Piers, and give him fair warning that I meant to use every means to win his ward.'