On entering the gay, enchanted scene of the breakfast, all eyes were directed towards Lady Adeline; and as the duke walked between her and his sister, the envious whisper ran round, "Who is she? Who invited her? How very odd she should be here!" but none durst openly find fault with one whom the Duke of Mercington protected and countenanced. Lord Gascoigne observed, as they walked in, "So at last he is caught," to which Lord Baskerville maliciously replied, "He may be caught--hem! but there are two words to that bargain--a-hem! For my part, I would rather be the cobbler at the corner of the street, who knows his stall's his own, than be in the questionable position of any man, however great. I do not envy him--hem!" Mr. Foley continued to take every opportunity of affecting intimacy with Lady Adeline; addressing her at every moment, asking her opinion of the _fête_, of the arrangement, of the scene; and then passed to observations upon the _superior_ beauty of Dunmelraise, and the happiness of riding with her about that wild scenery: to all of which she replied naturally, saying, "They were perfectly different, and admitted of no comparison." In this manner he endeavoured to create an appearance of greater intimacy than belonged to common acquaintance; and then requested her, if disengaged, to dance the first cotillon with him. To this she agreed. But, in the meantime, the Duke of Mercington, who had, with one of his _engouements_, selected Lady Adeline as his favourite of the day, and therefore considered every other person's approach an intrusion, being annoyed by Mr. Foley's constant interruption of the conversation, proposed to his sister and Lady Adeline, and their party, to go on the water. Although the duke could not without positive rudeness exclude Mr. Foley as they entered the boat, yet, by taking a seat on one side of Lady Adeline, and placing his sister on the left, he secured something like a conversation _suivie_, which he could not otherwise have done. As they were embarking, the same junto of young men who had made their remarks on the duke's party when he entered, now stood by the lake; for the same system observed in Hyde Park, of arranging themselves in line wherever there were women, in order, as Leslie Winyard said, _pour se laisser admirer_, was adhered to on the present occasion. "His grace," said Lord Baskerville, "seems to be really _épris_, and to be meditating matrimony." "Who is she?" again questioned Lord Gascoigne. "She must be something quite new, for I never saw her before." "Oh! she, you know," replied Lord Baskerville, who always affected to know every body's story, "she is the girl that Lord Albert D'Esterre was said to be engaged to, but who broke off the engagement from some reason or other; probably because she had no intention of marrying a field-preacher."