She had not been there long, before Miss Selina Danvers flew up to her, with ecstasy in her looks, and a perfect parterre of flowers in her head, and seizing her hand vehemently, “Well, my dear Lady Fitzhenry, here I am! actually at Almacks! and all owing to you, I am sure, I am more obliged to you than I can express. What an enchanting place it is! But only think how abominably those odious lady patronesses have behaved! After all, mamma has no ticket! Did you ever hear any thing like it? It is quite atrocious. I really thought I should have died with anxiety when we came to Willis’s room this morning to hear our fate; and my heart sank within me when I saw how full the street was of carriages, for we got into a regular string just like a ball—so delightful! We were there full an hour and a half waiting, but I am sure it was well worth while, and I really believe I screamed with joy when I saw my ticket; but, as I said before, there was none for mamma; so then we had to drive all over the town to find a _chaperon_ for me to go with; at last we went to Lady Coddrington, and only think! she had got one for herself, and none for her daughter! Did you ever hear any thing so shocking! And she was so cross and sulky about it at first, that she said she would not go; but by abusing the lady patronesses, we got her into good-humour, and she agreed to take me; but, between ourselves, she is a very disagreeable _chaperon_; for out of spite, I suppose, because her ugly daughter could not get a ticket, she won’t try and get me a partner; and, odious woman, she came so late that the evening is already more than half over. I suppose you know all the men here, Lady Fitzhenry, don’t you?” “Very few dancers,” said Emmeline, not feeling at all inclined to press Selina on any of her acquaintance. “Dear! there is Mr. Moore!” exclaimed the young lady, already in a flutter of expectation; “and I do believe he is coming this way; and we danced constantly together at Arlingford, you know.” That was true; but dancing and diverting himself with the simple Selina at Arlingford, and selecting her as his partner at Almacks, were two very different things; and after making her a distant, chilling bow, Mr. Moore sat down on the other side of Emmeline. Poor Selina’s countenance fell. Moore went on talking, _sotto-voce_, to Emmeline, till Selina could bear it no longer. “Dear, Mr. Moore! how come you not to be dancing? I thought you liked it of all things!” “I may ask you the same question,” returned he. “Oh no, perhaps nobody has asked me,” answered Selina, pettishly.