“Indeed!” said a soft voice from behind, followed by immoderate laughter from several persons. Our trio looked round, and beheld Lady Susan herself, accompanied by Lord Borrowdale, Lord Morven, and Henry. “We have caught the gallant Captain speaking of your Ladyship at least,” observed Lord Borrowdale.
“Which, in my opinion, argues thinking,” added Henry.
Edmund, not knowing well how to get out of the scrape, joined the laugh, and said, he believed he must plead guilty—of what, he left it to the imagination of his accusers to determine.
Lady Susan seemed to think it was of being in love, and that with herself; for she smiled, addressed our hero frequently, and was particularly obliging to him all the morning. Lord Morven, who did not seem much to relish the scene, asked, without addressing any one in particular, who that dashing fellow was who drove along the margin of the lake yesterday evening as they were boating. “The same,” answered Lord Borrowdale, “who made himself so conspicuous during the regatta, splashing through the crowd in his curricle.”
“I am aware of that,” rejoined Lord Morven, “but I mean to enquire if any one knows who the young man is?”
“That no one I believe can make out. The name is Beaumont; but he has not brought any introductions, and has, I understand, declined the acquaintance of some persons who, taking it for granted that he was of the noble family of that name, wished to call on him.”
“He is not then, it would seem, very consistent,” said Henry, “for he literally scraped an acquaintance the other day with such a fellow as Lawson, (my aunt’s man of business,) for the express purpose of asking to be introduced at Lodore House.”
“He shows his good taste,” said Lord Borrowdale, with an appropriate glance towards the group of ladies.
“He appears,” observed Lord Morven, “to have a tolerable taste in most things: his horses are beautiful animals, and his dogs the finest I have seen!”
“Is he not rather pleasing-looking himself too?” asked Frances; “I thought so, as well as one could see passing. Did not you think so, Lady Susan?”