filled the ladies with surprise, who had been watching Bobby as the glass of fashion and the mould of form. But Mab thought, and did not hesitate to say so, that Leo was a little stiff. She said whatever came into her head, that daring little girl--she was not afraid of offending anybody, especially not Mr. Leo, as she called him, to the admiration and wonder of all the other girls. Mab, in short, enjoyed herself so much, and was so frankly delighted with the progress of events, that the questions that were poured upon her by all the old ladies became superfluous. ‘Well, Mab, are you getting partners?’ Mrs. Plowden said, whose attention had been riveted upon her own children, and who, in sincerity, had scarcely noticed Mab until she danced with Jim. ‘Partners! she has never once sat down the whole evening,’ cried Miss Grey. Mrs. Plowden was aware that Emmy had not danced the two last dances, and she felt the humiliation; but she smiled. ‘Everybody is anxious that a girl should enjoy her first ball,’ she said. ‘Jim wanted you so much to enjoy yourself to-night.’ ‘Well, she paid him back for it,’ said Miss Grey; ‘she threw over Bobby Wade for him.’ ‘Bobby Wade!’ cried Mrs. Plowden. Bobby Wade had not asked either of the Rectory girls. This little heartburning ran on along all the line of mothers who sat or stood by the wall. Mr. Wade and Mr. Swinford were the two men whose approach made every heart beat. Those who had not been asked by them--or, rather, whose daughters had not been asked by them--felt the vanity of the whole affair, and that the apples which were so bright outside were but ashes within. Leo, for his part, worked very hard that nobody might be left out; but young Wade did not care in the least, dancing up with his arm extended to the young lady he fancied, when he pleased, and carrying her off sometimes under the very nose of her partner. ‘He had better not try that on with me,’ said Jim. ‘What would you do? You couldn’t knock him down in Mrs. FitzStephen’s room?’ ‘No, I don’t suppose I could do that,’ said Jim, ‘for their sakes; but I should certainly give him to understand----’ ‘How could you give him to understand?’ said Mab, pursuing her cousin with pitiless practicality. But, as it happened, the proof of what Jim could do occurred at once, for Mr. Wade made a long step up to her--her very self--and held out that insolent arm. ‘Our da-ance, I think,’ he said. ‘Indeed, it is nothing of the kind!’ said Mab; ‘I am not engaged to you at all----’ Wade opened his eyes very wide, and looked as if he could not believe his ears. ‘I assure you this is ours--booked first thing in the evening. Come!’ he said. ‘We are losing half the waltz,’ said Mab to her partner, and they dashed off, brushing against Mr. Wade’s extended arm. It was very rude, and Lady William took her daughter very much to task for her want of politeness. ‘But it wasn’t the least his dance--he had nothing to do with it, mother.’