TAKING THE FLOOR 411 



CHAPTER LXV 



TAKING THE F L O O K 



Our week beginning Thursday, January 24, 1895, opened 

 with the Rugby Hunt Ball. A pronounced success, they 

 aver it was, and in every way worthy of better introduc- 

 tion and sequel at the hands of the weather clerk. For, 

 had not the grandes dames of the neighbourhood for once 

 exerted themselves to beautify the rooms and complete 

 the arrangements ? Had not a brand of champagne been 

 chosen, out of which not a headache existed in a bottle 

 and a half ? Had not the floor been polished to falling- 

 point ? Did not the " Kitchen " Lancers evoke, in the 

 most stately and the most matured, a longing to frisk ? 

 And did they not frisk ? In testimony to such conditions 

 were there not at least three bruised feet under lamenta- 

 tion to one sore head ? Had not the walls a setting of 

 diamonds that e'en the Gaiety could scarce have rivalled ; 

 and was there not a go about the Pas de Onatre that Sir 

 Augustus Harris would have paid money to import ? If 

 here was no Augustus to conduct the show, the gate was 

 to be found presided over with courteous ability, the Janus 

 of the evening being Mr. Lawrence, Rugby schoolboy, 

 librarian and dispenser of literature. 



In the peopling of a Hunt Ball, as far as my oppor- 

 tunities of observation enable me to form an opinion, 

 and sinking all minor differences, such as diamonds and 

 tarlatan, at least three main divisions exist, viz.: (i) the 

 young, who go there for their fling and have it more 

 merrily and prettily than they can possibly achieve else- 

 where ; (2) the old, who go to court reminiscence and to 

 sup conscientiously ; and (3) the middle-aged, who, as it 

 were, enact the part of filling up the chinks. The first 

 named are the spirit of the ball. The last named are, or 

 should be, extremely useful interpleaders ; or, if I have 

 used the wrong word, say adjuncts. Their vocation is to 

 minister to age, to arm the dowagers in to repeated suppers, 



