Mr. Wingfield solicited Miss Vernon tò grant him the favor of her hand for the first set, if disengaged; she hesitated; willing to reserve herself for Maxwell, who would, she supposed, prefer a like petition; feeling at the same time jealous that he should have neglected to secure her assent the day before, when he had made an unusually hurried visit to the parsonage.

Mr. Wingfield, presuming from her silence that she had not heard him, repeated the request; then politeness obliging her to accede, she derived consolation from knowing that she should have an opportunity of exhibiting herself to Captain Maxwell as the selected of a very elegant and fashionable partner; the carriage now proceeding through the avenue, a full military band was heard to play, The Scots came over the Border,' and the

Abbey was

discoverable in a blaze of light. When our party entered dancing was about to be

commenced; but an unlooked-for misfortune awaited the hitherto triumphant maitresse de ceremonies, who had previously arranged that Mr. Somerset should open the ball with the honorable Miss de Burgh, one of a numerous party invited from Dublin. The hero of the night, still engaged at the dinner-table indulging in copious libations of Claret to his own health and longevity, had not yet made his entrée into the reception rooms: being at length informed by a servant that the dancers waited but for him, he appeared, and led his fair partner to the top of the room; but in the very first movement of the figure, he reeled, fell, and measured his length on the floor, whence he was carried to his chamber in the arms of two footmen, leaving the young lady overwhelmed by confusion. With an inflamed cheek and lowering brow the mother of Miss de Burgh, Lady Arraglen, advanced, audibly

desired she might not again attempt to dance that evening, and was leading the disappointed Charlotte from the room, when arrested by Mrs. Courtney, who, with agony depicted on every feature, entreated a reversal of the cruel sentence; apologised, in the most abject manner, for her son, whose extreme youth she pleaded as a palliative for a crime she could not ever forgive; begged permission to choose for Miss de Burgh a partner worthy of her acknowledged the difficulty of such a commission, and, in fine, displayed so much unaffected misery as induced the relenting Lady Arraglen's consent for her daughter resuming her place with Colonel Sir Robert Charleton, a desirable substitute for the arrogant and conceited Somerset.

The dance recommenced, and eagerly did the eye of Maria seek through the rooms for Maxwell, whom she at length discovered, near the place she occupied, appa

rently much engaged by a young lady, his Maria bowed and smiled with

partner.

her accustomed friendliness; her bow was returned, but not warmly, and unaccompanied by a smile. Having danced down, she refused a seat offered by Mr. Wingfield, and stood at the lower part of the room, expecting that when Maxwell should be released from the dance he might anticipate her hand for the second set, and explain why he had omitted to solicit it for the first; much to her surprise he conducted his partner towards another apartment, without once addressing Miss Vernon, whose attention was arrested by hearing a person behind her say, do but observe Maxwell, I will bet you a dozen of Champagne that he is in for another love fit with the damsel who leans upon his arm.

*

Maria turned to look at the speaker, and in him discovered a newly arrived officer of the regiment, who had been on leave of

absence, and was unknown to her, having joined but the day before.

I hear,' he continued, that he was confoundedly smitten here by some parson's daughter; but they say he has recovered that attack pretty much, and

Hush,' answered a voice, which Maria knew to be that of Major Longworth, to whom she presented her hand with a particular degree of kindness; recollecting, with remorse, her misconstruction of his former friendly hints. Her head now ached violently, and she would gladly have returned home, were it practicable: but she could not command the party to which she belonged, and, on re-consideration, a certain spirit of indignant pride told her, that to retreat from the scene of mortification might betray feelings of disappointment inconsistent with her ideas of female dignity; she, therefore, with apparent animation, laughed, conversed, promenaded with