THE WIDOW RALLIES BEAUCHAMP. 289 



to lier, and the Marquis of Ayrshire most unpleasantly so, con- 

 sidering his well-known character for flirtation ; but as both 

 dine here to-morrow, you can form your own judgment." 



It was then decided that Blanche should be presented at the 

 next-drawing-room, the ensuing week. Soon after which, Mrs. 

 Harcourt, on other visitors being announced, took her leave. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



The select dinner-party at Lady Malcolm's, the following day, 

 consisted of Lord and Lady Arnmore, Marquises of Ayrshire 

 and Danby, Sir Lionel Markham and Lady, with two daughters, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt, and Mrs. Fortescue, with the Captain 

 and Mr. Conyers. Beauchamp was not at first in a very enter- 

 taining mood, the occurrences of the previous day and Lord 

 Danby' s apparent determination still .to persevere in his suit 

 causing him considerable annoyance ; but this very reserve was 

 alone sufficient to induce Mrs. Fortescue, whom he handed 

 in to dinner, to continue her attempts at drawing him into 

 more general conversation ; and Beauchamp, finding her 

 ideas on many subjects coincided with his own, became more 

 communicative, and somewhat of his usually cheerful manner 

 returned. 



Blanche, who sat nearly opposite, having maintained hitherto 

 a rather grave demeanour towards Lord Danby, feeling piqued 

 at what she thought her lover's unnecessary gaiety of speech to 

 Mrs. Fortescue, sought her revenge by a similar display of light 

 good humour towards his lordship ; which Beauchamp taking as 

 the gauntlet thrown down m defiance, redoubled his efforts to 

 please, in which he succeeded so far as to make a very favour- 

 able impression on the young widow, who thought him the most 

 sensible, cheerful, unaffected person she had ever met with. 

 The exhibition of this false play between Blanche and Beau- 

 champ produced, however, a certain effect upon Lady Malcolm, 

 Mrs. Harcourt, and others, who took an interest in observing 

 them, which, although not intended by the lovers themselves, 

 yet in their present position proved most favourable to them. 



After dinner, Lady Malcolm held a grand reunion, which 

 means the condensing or compressing together two or three 

 hundred persons into a space sufficient to accommodate comfort- 



s 



