AN UNFORTUNATE MISTAKE. 197 



" No, on my honour, Markham, that was not my reason for 

 refusing your friendly offer." 



" Then, demmit, Danby, there can be no other ; but here 

 comes Sir Lionel, as game an old cock as ever wore spurs." 



Markham, having introduced his father to Lord Danby, 

 left them together, saying, u There, governor, Danby wants to 

 see our pack, so hold him by the button until he promises to 

 spend a month at Barton Court." 



Lord Danby was so much pleased with the urbanity of the 

 old baronet that he at last accepted the invitation, and stood 

 listening to his account of their great run, until Beauchamp, 

 having finished his dance, was leading Blanche back to her aunt. 

 If Lord Danby was at first so much taken with Blanche's love- 

 liness of person, he was much more captivated with her artless, 

 unaffected manners and cheerful, unsophisticated mind, which 

 made him desire to be more intimately acquainted with her, and 

 at the end of their dance he pleaded for a second, which was not 

 refused, Blanche being much pleased with his quiet gentle- 

 manly demeanour, and thinking, as a friend of Beauchamp' s, 

 there could be no impropriety in accepting him a second time 

 for her partner. It unfortunately so happened that Beauchamp 

 had previously engaged Blanche for the sixth quadrille, which 

 not noticing, from a waltz intervening, she had taken to mean 

 the seventh dance, unwittingly accepting both him and Lord 

 Danby for the same set; and as Beauchamp was hurrying 

 through the crowd in search of his partner when the time arrived, 

 he found her with Lord Danby just taking their position in the 

 set then forming, Lord Malcolm and Constance standing near. 



" I think," said Beauchamp, in a low tone to her, " you are 

 engaged to me for this quadrille." 



" Oh, no, William, you must have made a mistake, as this is 

 the seventh dance." 



" But only the sixth quadrille," added Beauchamp, " which 

 you promised me, did you not, Blanche 1 " 



" Yes," she replied, " I recollect now that was the case, but 

 as it did not occur to me when I accepted Lord Danby, I do not 

 know how I can well refuse to dance with him, since we have 

 taken our places." 



"Well, then, Blanche, will you dance the next quadrille 

 with me ? " 



" For that I am engaged to Captain Melville." 



" The succeeding one, then 1 " 



" I have promised that to Major Hammond." 



