"I didn't understand that you were asking me to dance with you," she said, half apologetically. "I should like it very much, but--" here the rather stiff demureness of her manner fairly melted away, and she began to laugh. "You forget I don't know who you are. I haven't even heard your name." Captain Chancellor started. He felt considerably annoyed with himself. He was the last man to slight or ignore any recognised formality, and he could not endure to be laughed at. He drew himself up rather haughtily, and was just beginning a somewhat stilted apology, when the young lady interrupted him. "Oh, please don't be vexed!" she exclaimed eagerly. "I hope I haven't said anything rude. It was so kind of you to ask me to dance, and I should like it so much! It doesn't matter our not being regularly introduced, does it?" "I hope not. We must consider the fog our master of ceremonies: it was under his auspices we first made each other's acquaintance," he replied, with a smile, for her "Oh, please don't be vexed!" was irresistible; "and I think I do know your name. You are Miss Laurence, are you not? Your friend Mrs Dalrymple was speaking about you at dinner, and I know she quite intended asking your permission to introduce me to you. It is easy to tell you my name. It is Chancellor." "Captain Chancellor! Oh yes; I thought so," she said naively; "but of course I was not sure. Now it is all right, isn't it?" for by this time a new dance was beginning, and she was evidently eager to lose no more valuable time. It was only a quadrille. They took their places, and though Miss Laurence's gravity returned when she found herself facing so many people, an underlying expression of great content was nevertheless plainly visible in her countenance to an observer so experienced and acute as her partner, and the discovery by no means diminished his good, humour. VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER TWO. MISTAKES. "This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet." _Romeo and Juliet_. There was not much conversation between Captain Chancellor and his partner during the quadrille, for Miss Laurence seemed a little afraid of her own voice in so public a position, and bestowed her attention principally on the rest of the performers. Immediately after the square dance, however, there came another waltz, for which Captain Chancellor, waxing bolder as his practised eye followed the girl's graceful and well-balanced, though somewhat timid movements, took care to secure her. His hopes were not disappointed. She danced beautifully; and then, too, how pretty it was to see how she enjoyed it! He forgot all about Miss Eyrecourt and her unamiability. "How well you dance! I can hardly believe you have not had much practice. With one or two very trifling alterations, your waltzing would be perfection," he exclaimed.