'After these two dances then--'
'Will you be her partner?' interrupted Camilla, 'O go to her at once!
immediately! and you will give me twenty times more pleasure than I can
have in dancing myself.'
She then flew to a form, and eagerly seated herself where she perceived
the first vacancy, to stop any debate, and enforce his consent.
The dance, which had been delayed by a dispute about the tune, was now
beginning. Edgar, looking after her with affected reproach, but real
admiration, asked the hand of Eugenia; who gave it with readiness and
pleasure; for, though contented as a spectatress, she experienced an
agreeable surprise in becoming a party engaged.
Camilla, happy in her own good humour, now looked at her neighbours; one
of which was an elderly lady, who, wholly employed in examining and
admiring the performance of her own daughters, saw nothing else in the
room. The other was a gentleman, much distinguished by his figure and
appearance, and dressed so completely in the extreme of fashion, as more
than to border upon foppery. The ease and negligence of his air denoted
a self-settled superiority to all about him; yet, from time to time,
there was an archness in the glance of his eye, that promised, under a
deep and wilful veil of conceit and affectation, a secret disposition to
deride the very follies he was practising. He was now lounging against
the wainscoat; with one hand on his side, and the other upon his
eye-lids, occupying the space, without using the seat, to the left of
Camilla.
Miss Margland, perceiving what she regarded as a fair vacancy, made up
to the spot, and saying, 'Sir, by your leave,' was preparing to take
possession of the place, when the gentleman, as if without seeing her,
dropt suddenly into it himself, and, pouring a profusion of _eau suave_
upon his handkerchief, exclaimed: 'What a vastly bad room this is for
dancing!'
Camilla, concluding herself addressed, turned round to him; but, seeing
he was sniffing up the _eau suave_, without looking at her, imagined he
meant to speak to Miss Margland.
Miss Margland was of the same opinion, and, with some pique at his
seizing thus her intended seat, rather sharply answered: 'Yes, sir, and
it's a vast bad room for _not_ dancing; for if every body would dance
that ought, there would be accommodation sufficient for other people.'
'Incomparably well observed!' cried he, collecting some bonbons from a
bonboniere, and swallowing one after another with great rapidity: 'But
won't you sit down? You must be enormously tired. Let me supplicate you
to sit down.'
Miss Margland, supposing he meant to make amends for his inattention, by
delivering up the place, civilly thanked him, and said she should not be
sorry, for she had stood a good while.
'Have you, indeed?' cried he, sprinkling some jessamine drops upon his
hands; 'how horribly abominable? Why don't some of those Mercuries,
those Ganymedes, those waiters, I believe you call them, get you a
chair?'