myself for my folly in watching his tall figure thread the dances, in fancying that I had met his eyes many times that evening, and, above all, for the throb of jealous disappointment that came with every dance when he did not do what I never soberly expected he would--ask me. A little before twelve I was sitting out among the turbans, when I saw him standing at some distance, and unmistakably looking at me. A sudden horror seized me that something was wrong--my hair coming down, my dress awry--and I was not comforted by Harriet passing at this moment with-- "'What! sitting out still? You should be more lively, child! Men don't like dancing with dummies.' "When her dress had whisked past me I looked up and saw him again, but at that moment he sharply turned his back on me and walked into the card-room. I was sitting still when he came out again with Mr. Topham. The music had just struck up, the couples were gathering; he was going to dance then. I looked down at my bouquet with tears in my eyes, and was trying hard to subdue my folly and to count the petals of a white camellia, when Mr. Topham's voice close by me said-- "'Miss Dorothy Lascelles, may I introduce Mr. Manners to you?' and in two seconds more my hand was in his arm, and he was saying in a voice as commonplace as if the world had not turned upside down-- "'I think it is Sir Roger.' "It is a minor satisfaction to me to reflect that, for once in my life, I was right. I did talk to Mr. George Manners. The first thing I said was-- "'I am very much obliged to you for picking up my fan.' To which he replied (if it can be called a reply)-- "'I wish I had known sooner that you were Miss Lascelles' sister.' "I said, 'Did you not see her with me on the stairs?' and he answered-- "'I saw no one but you.' "Which, as it is the nearest approach to a pretty speech that ever was made to me, I confide solemnly to this my fine new diary, which is to be my dearest friend and confidante this year. Why the music went so fast, and the dance was so short on this particular occasion, I never could fathom; both had just ceased, and we were still chatting, when midnight struck, deep-toned or shrill, from all the clocks in the house; and, in the involuntary impressive pause, we could hear through the open window the muffled echo from the village church. Then Mr. Topham ran in with a huge loving-cup, and, drinking all our good healths, it was passed through the company. "When the servant brought it to me, Mr. Manners took it from him, and held it for me himself by both handles, saying-- "'It is too heavy for your hands;' and I drank, he quoting in jest from _Hamlet_-- "'Nymph, in thine orisons be all my sins remembered.' "Then he said, '_I_ shall wish in silence,' and paused a full minute before putting it to his lips. When the servant had taken it away, he heaved so profound a sigh that (we then being very friendly) I said-- "'What is the matter?'