THE FIRST FAVOURITE. 377 



these matters, although as warm and kind-hearted a fellow as 

 ever breathed." 



"Then it is all settled, Bayntun, that Miss Douglas is to 

 become Lady Beauchamp ? " 



"Quite, Martingale, and Malcolm marries Beauchamp's 

 sister, and two handsomer couples never stood at the altar." 



" That's true enough, Bayntun, and I only wish I could 

 stand in Beauchamp's shoes on that one morning." 



" Ay, ay, Martingale, you are not singular in that wish ; 

 witness Danby, poor fellow, whom I do pity • but Ayrshire and 

 others not. However, Beauchamp and Miss Douglas have 

 been attached since boy and girl, so says Malcolm, and may the 

 devil take the man who would part them — that's my opinion, 

 Martingale ; " with which Lord Henry turned away, and forth- 

 with communicated to Lady Fanny Trimmer and other ladies 

 whose jealousy of the heiress was well known, the not very 

 gratifying information of her opponent's defeat and the capture 

 of the impostor. Selina Markham alone rejoiced at her friend's 

 re-establishment in her just rights, and remarked to Lord 

 Henry, " Beauchamp is not quite the spooney I took him for, 

 and verifies the old saying, 'that silent birds pick up most 

 grubs.' Will has been running mute, like one of his cunning 

 old hounds when the fox is sinking, and beaten the flashy town 

 pack gloriously. Hurrah for the provincials ; we shall have 

 a jolly time of it this winter — hunt six days a week, with open 

 house at Bampton. Balls and dinner parties without end. 

 Won't you come down, Lord Henry, and see how we do things 

 in our quiet country 1 " 



"Not very quiet, I suspect, Miss Markham, if I am to 

 judge by what I hear of your gaieties and hospitalities last 

 winter ; Danby says he enjoyed himself amazingly." 



" All, yes, I dare say he did ; but then he saw everything 

 couleur cfe rose — every scene was one of enchantment to him, 

 where Blanche was present/' 



" Ah, Miss Markham, Danby is deucedly cut up about that' 

 little affair ; but he did not go the way to mend matters by 

 playing the grandee over Beauchamp. Your sex are ever ready 

 to avenge an insult offered to their favourites, and from the night 

 of his purposely excluding Beauchamp from the last ball at Castle- 

 ton House, Miss Douglas has scarcely noticed him ; but for this 

 piece of folly, he would have stood second favourite at least — 

 certainly before Ayrshire ; and my advice is never to throw away 

 a chance, as the first favourite does not always come in a winner. " 



