"But they always come back, and are very repentant and sorry for what they've done," Blanche said. "See, here comes the Poker, and dear Laura leaning on him. How pretty she looks!"
Laura came up, and put out her hand to Pen, to whom Pynsent made a sort of bow, appearing to be not much more graceful than that domestic instrument to which Miss Amory compared him.
But Laura's face was full of kindness. "I am so glad you have come, dear Pen," she said. "I can speak to you now. How is mamma? The three dances are over, and I am engaged to you for the next, Pen."
"I have just engaged myself to Miss Amory," said Pen; and Miss Amory nodded her head, and made her usual little courtesy. "I don't intend to give him up, dearest Laura," she said.
"Well, then, he'll waltz with me, dear Blanche," said the other. "Won't you, Pen?"
"I promised to waltz with Miss Amory."
"Provoking!" said Laura, and making a courtesy in her turn, she went and placed herself under the ample wing of Lady Rockminster.
Pen was delighted with his mischief. The two prettiest girls in the room were quarreling about him. He flattered himself he had punished Miss Laura. He leaned in a dandified air, with his elbow over the wall, and talked to Blanche: he quizzed unmercifully all the men in the room—the heavy dragoons in their tight jackets—the country dandies in their queer attire—the strange toilets of the ladies. One seemed to have a bird's nest in her head; another had six pounds of grapes in her hair, besides her false pearls. "It's a coiffure of almonds and raisins," said Pen, "and might be served up for dessert." In a word, he was exceedingly satirical and amusing.
During the quadrille he carried on this kind of conversation with unflinching bitterness and vivacity, and kept Blanche continually laughing both at his wickedness and jokes, which were good, and also because Laura was again their vis-à-vis, and could see and hear how merry and confidential they were.
"Arthur is charming to-night," she whispered to Laura, across Cornet Perch's shell jacket, as Pen was performing cavalier seul before them, drawling through that figure with a thumb in the pocket of each waistcoat.