The Miss Falconers, stationary at one end of the room, seemed to have adopted manners diametrically opposite to those of their mother: attraction being the principle of the mother, repulsion of the daughters. Encircled amongst a party of young female friends, Miss Falconers, with high-bred airs, confined to their own _coterie_ their exclusive attention. They left to their mother the responsibility and all the labour of _doing the honours_ of her own house, whilst they enjoyed the glory of being remarked and _wondered at_ by half the company; a circumstance which, far from embarrassing, seemed obviously to increase their gaiety. The ball could not begin till the band of a regiment, quartered in the neighbourhood, arrived. Whilst they were waiting for the music, the Miss Falconers and their party stationed themselves directly opposite to the entrance of the saloon, so as to have a full view of the antechamber through which the company were to pass--no one passed uncensured by this confederacy. The first coup-d’oeil decided the fate of all who appeared, and each of the fair judges vied with the others in the severity of the sentence pronounced on the unfortunate persons who thus came before their merciless tribunal. “But I am astonished the Percys do not make their appearance,” cried Miss Georgiana Falconer. “Has Sir Robert Percy any one with him?” asked one of the young ladies. “I am not speaking of Sir Robert Percy,” replied Miss Georgiana, “but of the other branch, the fallen branch of the Percys--our relations too--but we know nothing of them--only mamma was obliged to ask them for to-night--And, Bell, only conceive how horribly provoking! because they come, we sha’n’t have Sir Robert Percy--just sent to excuse himself.” “Abominable! Now, really!--And for people quite out of the world, that nobody ever heard of, except Lord Oldborough, who, ages ago, had some political connexion, I think they say, with the father,” said Miss Arabella. “No, they met abroad, or something of that sort,” replied Miss Georgiana. “Was that it? Very likely--I know nothing about them: I only wish they had stayed at home, where they are so fond of staying, I hear. You know, Georgiana, Buckhurst told us, that when they had something to live upon they never lived like other people, but always were buried alive in the country; and Lady Jane Granville, with her own lips, told me, that, even since they lost their fortune, she had asked one of these girls to town with her and to Tunbridge--Now only conceive how kind! and what an advantage that would have been--And, can you believe it? Mr. Percy was so unaccountable, and they all so odd, that they refused--Lady Jane, of course, will never ask them again. But now, must not they be the silliest creatures in the universe?”