“No, sir. Mr le Beaume presented him in character.”
“Then he’ll know him, questionless. Excuse me for a moment, madam,” and returning to the ballroom he brought out Mr le Beaume and Ensign Bellamy, the latter wearing rams’ horns and an antique habit as Alexander the Great. The two young gentlemen had been dancing together, a thing which is not unfrequent at the Calcutta balls, owing to the small number of our sex that are present.
“Pray, sir,” says my papa to Mr le Beaume, “who was the person you presented just now to my daughter?”
“Why, sir, I’m sure I don’t know. I named him only by his character, as I heard was the custom at these gatherings, since all present were well acquainted with one another.”
“Then you know nothing of the fellow?”
“Nothing, sir, save that I chanced to jostle him in the crowd somewhat roughly, and begged his pardon, which he gave with a very good grace. ‘Say no more, Mons. l’Abbé,’ he said, speaking in character. ‘Do your King the honour of making him known to the divine Clarissa, and all is more than forgiven.’ I hope, sir, I han’t done any displeasure to the lady in granting his request?”
“Your King, as you call him, sir, has thought fit to use towards Miss a freedom that may be the mode at Chandernagore, but en’t so at Calcutta.”
“Do I understand you to imply, sir, that this person was an intimate of my own?”
“Come, Mr le Beaume,” it was Captain Colquhoun who spoke; “don’t be over ready to stand on your punctilio. You see that we must come at the truth of this affair, if only to save the ladies from annoyance in the future. I understand this person spoke nothing but French. To the best of your belief, had you ever met him before?”
“Never, Captain. I know all the officials of our factories at Chandernagore and Sydabad,[06] but he recalled none of ’em to my mind. But, gentlemen, this affair touches my honour. Pray allow me to seek out this person, and bring him here to entreat Miss’s pardon on his knees.”