"Oh, good-evening, Lieutenant Henry!" cried a piquant-looking damsel in a gown of rather brilliant green satin, with flounced petticoat of white.
"Your most obedient, Mistress Mason. I can see you will have small mercy on hearts to-night."
"Lord, Mr. Henry, you're the most open flatterer! I vow I never looked worse."
"Oh, I protest! I call the gods to witness! Are you engaged for the minuet?"
Dorothy wriggled her shoulders, colored, glanced swiftly towards Robin Thomas, who still lingered by Miss Harwood, saw that the case was hopeless for her, and so replied, in a provoked manner: "La! How should I be engaged when we've seen no one for a week? Our plantation's such a distance from the river."
"You'll honor me, then?"
"Oh, with thanks. Look, there are the Trevors. They were just in the dressing-room when I came down. You've heard the news?"
"No. Tell it me."
"Ginny Trevor's engaged at last."
"What! Not to—"