304 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS. 



" Then I can tell you that Beauchamp is quite as proud as 

 yourself; and having overheard you ask Conyers and Melville, 

 he, of course, concluded he was purposely excluded." 



" Oh, quite an oversight, Malcolm ! I am sorry he should 

 take offence ; but our rooms are not spacious enough to contain 

 all our country acquaintances." 



" Depend upon it, my lord," replied Malcolm, nettled by 

 this confirmation of Beauchamp's well-grounded deductions, 

 " they will never be large enough to contain Will Beauchamp;" 

 with which he turned away ; and seeking Blanche, who was 

 dancing, whispered, "Beauchamp is right. We shall leave as 

 soon as the carriage arrives ; so sit with my mother after this 

 quadrille, and I will join you directly it is announced." 



Lord Danby muttered to himself, " Confound that Beau- 

 champ ! he is ever in the way somewhere, and I suspect it is all 

 true about his engagement to Miss Douglas ; but I will find it 

 out ; " and hovering near her, he again renewed his suit for the 

 next dance, which was again declined. " How have I been so 

 unfortunate as to incur your displeasure, Miss Douglas ? Is it 

 because I omitted to invite Mr. Beauchamp to our ball, which I 

 fear is the case from what Lord Malcolm has been telling me 1 " 



" I have informed you, my lord, that Lady Malcolm has 

 ordered the carriage very early, and my cousin begged me to 

 remain with his mother until it arrives, and not to accept 

 another partner." 



"And I can answer," replied Lord Ayrshire, "that she has 

 refused at least a dozen others since we have been engaged in 

 this quadrille." 



" Then may I hope for the honour of your hand," persisted 

 Lord Danby, "for the first dance to-morrow night at Lady 

 Husselton's, to which, I believe, you are going ? " 



"It is not yet decided whether we shall be there or not," 

 replied Blanche ; " but I do not make engagements of this kind 

 beforehand." 



The quadrille being finished, Lord Ayrshire conducted her 

 to Lady Malcolm, where being again solicited for another dance 

 by Lord Henry Bayntun, she made the same excuse. 



" Oh, my clear," said Lady Malcolm, " if you wish to dance 

 again, I can wait till the next quadrille is over." 



" Charles desired I would not engage myself in another," 

 she replied ; " and I think I see him coining to announce the 

 carriage ; " which was the case. 



On their return to Grosvenor Square, Mrs. Gordon had not 



