"I can't say I do. She says she would rather not, and of course you won't press her." "I don't see it in that light,--I really don't. A gentleman has his rights you know, Mrs. Cornbury. Miss Ray won't deny--" "Miss Ray will deny that she intends to stand up for this dance. And one of the rights of a gentleman is to take a lady at her word." "Really, Mrs. Cornbury, you are down upon one so hard." "Rachel," said she, "would you mind coming across the room with me? There are seats on the sofa on the other side." Then Mrs. Cornbury sailed across the floor, and Rachel crept after her more dismayed than ever. Mr. Griggs the while stood transfixed to his place, stroking his mustaches with his hand, and showing plainly by his countenance that he didn't know what he ought to do next. "Well, that's cool," said he; "confounded cool!" "Anything wrong, Griggs, my boy?" said a bank clerk, slapping him on the back. "I call it very wrong; very wrong, indeed," said Griggs; "but people do give themselves such airs! Miss Cherry, may I have the honour of waltzing with you?" "Certainly not," said Cherry, who was passing by. Then Mr. Griggs made his way back to the door. Rachel felt that things were going wrong with her. It had so happened that she had parted on bad terms with three gentlemen. She had offended Mr. Cornbury and Mr. Griggs, and had done her best to make Mr. Rowan understand that he had offended her! She conceived that all the room would know of it, and that Mrs. Cornbury would become ashamed of her. That Mrs. Tappitt was already very angry with her she was quite sure. She wished she had not come to the ball, and began to think that perhaps her sister might be right. It almost seemed to herself that she had not known how to behave herself. For a short time she had been happy,--very happy; but she feared that she had in some way committed herself during the moments of her happiness. "I hope you are not angry with me," she said, "about Mr. Griggs?" appealing to her friend in a plaintive voice.