“They dance charmingly,” observed the lady. “But they look like women.”
“They may be women for aught I know,” said the general. “But they have joined as troopers—at least, Shaftoe tells me so. He is speaking to their captain now.”
“And if the so-called captain is not a woman in disguise, I am very much mistaken,” observed Mrs. Scarisbrick.
The music having struck up for another dance the young sparks ought to have surrendered their partners, who were engaged three or four deep, instead of which they stood up with them again—a course of proceeding that gave great umbrage to the claimants; and in a few minutes a disturbance arose that threw the whole room into confusion.
The Lancaster recruits showed great spirit, and refused to give up their partners, defying the claimants to take them. The challenge was excepted, and a struggle ensued, in the midst of which screams arose, and it was found that three of the Lancashire youths had fainted. Their sex could, therefore, no longer be concealed; and it then came out, as Mrs. Scarisbrick had suspected, that they were a party of young damsels, who had followed their lovers from Lancaster.
The occurrence caused much merriment, and Captain Shaftoe had to undergo a good deal of raillery from Mrs. Scarisbrick.
Shortly afterwards, the more distinguished guests were summoned to a magnificent supper, which was served in an adjoining room.
In the course of the evening there were several Highland dances, which from their novelty produced a great effect. One of these was a Highland reel, in which Lady Derwentwater and Dorothy took part. The countess danced with Lord Charles Murray, and Dorothy with Colonel Farquharson of Invercauld, and acquitted themselves admirably. Beside these, two other ladies joined the reel and found partners in the Master of Nairn and Captain Gordon. All danced with great spirit to the stirring accompaniment of the pipes. A Highland fling, executed by Lord Charles Murray and Captain Gordon, was rewarded by the applause of Brigadier Mackintosh.
Owing to the crowded state of the room some inconvenience was experienced by the dancers, and interruptions occasionally occurred; but, on the whole, the ball went off remarkably well, and was long afterwards remembered at Preston. Many ladies, then in their bloom, used to boast to their grand-daughters, that they had danced with the rebels in 1715, and they invariably added “Never was seen such a fine set of young fellows.”
Amid that scene of gaiety and excitement, when all the young men yielded to the soft influence of beauty, few thought that vigorous preparations for attacking them were being made by their foes, and that within three days many of them would be slain, and the rest exiled. Had such thoughts intruded they would have been quickly banished.