The cold and empty appearance of the room, and the demure air of the
small cluster of females at one end of it, began soon to give way.
The inspiriting sound of other carriages was heard, and continual
accessions of portly chaperones, and strings of smartly dressed girls,
were received, with now and then a fresh gentleman straggler, who, if
not enough in love to station himself near any fair creature, seemed
glad to escape into the card-room.
Among the increasing number of military men, one now made his way to
Miss Edwards with an air of _empressement_ which decidedly said to her
companion, “I am Captain Hunter”; and Emma, who could not but watch her
at such a moment, saw her looking rather distressed, but by no means
displeased, and heard an engagement formed for the first two dances,
which made her think her brother Sam’s a hopeless case.
Emma in the meanwhile was not unobserved or unadmired herself. A new
face, and a very pretty one, could not be slighted. Her name was
whispered from one party to another, and no sooner had the signal been
given by the orchestra’s striking up a favourite air, which seemed to
call the young to their duty, and people the centre of the room, than
she found herself engaged to dance with a brother officer, introduced
by Captain Hunter.
Emma Watson was not more than of the middle height, well made and
plump, with an air of healthy vigour. Her skin was very brown, but
clear, smooth, and glowing, which, with a lively eye, a sweet smile,
and an open countenance, gave beauty to attract, and expression to
make that beauty improve on acquaintance. Having no reason to be
dissatisfied with her partner, the evening began very pleasantly
to her; and her feelings perfectly coincided with the reiterated
observation of others, that it was an excellent ball. The two first
dances were not quite over when the returning sound of carriages after
a long interruption called general notice, and “The Osbornes are
coming, the Osbornes are coming!” was repeated round the room. After
some minutes of extraordinary bustle without and watchful curiosity
within, the important party, preceded by the attentive master of the
inn to open a door which was never shut, made their appearance. They
consisted of Lady Osborne; her son, Lord Osborne; her daughter, Miss
Osborne; Miss Carr, her daughter’s friend; Mr Howard, formerly tutor to
Lord Osborne, now clergyman of the parish in which the castle stood;
Mrs Blake, a widow sister, who lived with him; her son, a fine boy of
ten years old; and Mr Tom Musgrave, who, probably, imprisoned within
his own room, had been listening in bitter impatience to the sound of
the music for the last half-hour. In their progress up the room they
paused almost immediately behind Emma to receive the compliments of
some acquaintance, and she heard Lady Osborne observe that they had
made a point of coming early for the gratification of Mrs Blake’s
little boy, who was uncommonly fond of dancing. Emma looked at them all
as they passed, but chiefly and with most interest on Tom Musgrave, who
was certainly a genteel, good-looking young man. Of the females, Lady
Osborne had by much the finest person; though nearly fifty, she was
very handsome, and had all the dignity of rank.
Lord Osborne was a very fine young man; but there was an air of
coldness, of carelessness, even of awkwardness about him, which seemed
to speak him out of his element in a ball-room. He came, in fact, only
because it was judged expedient for him to please the borough; he was
not fond of women’s company, and he never danced. Mr Howard was an
agreeable-looking man, a little more than thirty.
At the conclusion of the two dances, Emma found herself, she knew not
how, seated among the Osborne set; and she was immediately struck with
the fine countenance and animated gestures of the little boy, as he was
standing before his mother, wondering when they should begin.
“You will not be surprised at Charles’s impatience,” said Mrs Blake, a
lively, pleasant-looking little woman of five or six and thirty, to a
lady who was standing near her, “when you know what a partner he is to
have. Miss Osborne has been so very kind as to promise to dance the two
first dances with him.”
“Oh, yes! we have been engaged this week,” cried the boy, “and we are
to dance down every couple.”
On the other side of Emma, Miss Osborne, Miss Carr, and a party of
young men were standing engaged in very lively consultation; and soon
afterwards she saw the smartest officer of the set walking off to the
orchestra to order the dance, while Miss Osborne, passing before her
to her little expecting partner, hastily said, “Charles, I beg your
pardon for not keeping my engagement, but I am going to dance these
two dances with Colonel Beresford. I know you will excuse me, and I
will certainly dance with you after tea.” And without staying for an
answer, she turned again to Miss Carr, and in another minute was led
by Colonel Beresford to begin the set. If the poor little boy’s face
had in its happiness been interesting to Emma, it was infinitely more
so under this sudden reverse; he stood the picture of disappointment
with crimsoned cheeks, quivering lips, and eyes bent on the floor. His
mother, stifling her own mortification, tried to soothe his, with the
prospect of Miss Osborne’s second promise; but, though he contrived to
utter with an effort of boyish bravery, “Oh, I do not mind it!” it was
very evident by the unceasing agitation of his features that he minded
it as much as ever.
Emma did not think or reflect; she felt and acted.
“I shall be very happy to dance with you, sir, if you like it,” said
she, holding out her hand with the most unaffected good-humour. The
boy, in one moment restored to all his first delight, looked joyfully
at his mother, and stepping forwards with an honest, simple “Thank
you, ma’am,” was instantly ready to attend his new acquaintance.
The thankfulness of Mrs Blake was more diffuse; with a look most
expressive of unexpected pleasure and lively gratitude, she turned to
her neighbour with repeated and fervent acknowledgments of so great
and condescending a kindness to her boy. Emma with perfect truth could
assure her that she could not be giving greater pleasure than she
felt herself; and Charles being provided with his gloves and charged
to keep them on, they joined the set which was now rapidly forming,
with nearly equal complacency. It was a partnership which could not be
noticed without surprise. It gained her a broad stare from Miss Osborne
and Miss Carr as they passed her in the dance. “Upon my word, Charles,
you are in luck,” said the former, as she turned him; “you have got a
better partner than me”; to which the happy Charles answered “Yes!”
Tom Musgrave, who was dancing with Miss Carr, gave her many inquisitive
glances; and after a time Lord Osborne himself came, and under pretence
of talking to Charles, stood to look at his partner. Though rather
distressed by such observation, Emma could not repent what she had
done, so happy had it made both the boy and his mother; the latter of
whom was continually making opportunities of addressing her with the
warmest civility. Her little partner she found, though bent chiefly on
dancing, was not unwilling to speak, when her questions or remarks gave
him anything to say; and she learnt, by a sort of inevitable enquiry,
that he had two brothers and a sister, that they and their mamma all
lived with his uncle at Wickstead, that his uncle taught him Latin,
that he was very fond of riding, and had a horse of his own given
him by Lord Osborne; and that he had been out once already with Lord
Osborne’s hounds.
At the end of these dances Emma found they were to drink tea; Miss
Edwards gave her a caution to be at hand, in a manner which convinced
her of Mrs Edwards’ holding it very important to have them both close
to her when she moved into the tea-room; and Emma was accordingly on
the alert to gain her proper station. It was always the pleasure of
the company to have a little bustle and crowd when they adjourned
for refreshment. The tea-room was a small room within the card-room;
and in passing through the latter, where the passage was straitened
by tables, Mrs Edwards and her party were for a few moments hemmed
in. It happened close by Lady Osborne’s casino table; Mr Howard, who
belonged to it, spoke to his nephew; and Emma, on perceiving herself
the object of attention both to Lady Osborne and him, had just turned
away her eyes in time to avoid seeming to hear her young companion
exclaim delightedly aloud, “Oh, uncle! do look at my partner. She is so
pretty!” As they were immediately in motion again, however, Charles
was hurried off without being able to receive his uncle’s suffrage.
On entering the tea-room in which two long tables were prepared, Lord
Osborne was to be seen quite alone at the end of one, as if retreating
as far as he could from the ball, to enjoy his own thoughts and gape
without restraint. Charles instantly pointed him out to Emma: “There’s
Lord Osborne, let you and I go and sit by him.”
“No, no,” said Emma, laughing, “you must sit with my friends.”
Charles was now free enough to hazard a few questions in his turn.
“What o’clock was it?”
“Eleven.”
“Eleven! and I am not at all sleepy. Mamma said I should be asleep
before ten. Do you think Miss Osborne will keep her word with me when
tea is over?”
“Oh, yes! I suppose so;” though she felt that she had no better reason
to give than that Miss Osborne had _not_ kept it before.
“When shall you come to Osborne Castle?”
“Never, probably. I am not acquainted with the family.”
“But you may come to Wickstead and see Mamma, and she can take you
to the castle. There is a monstrous curious stuffed fox there, and a
badger, anybody would think they were alive. It is a pity you should
not see them.”