During the interval which elapsed, Lord Osborne and Mr. Howard both
discovered various pretexts for calling at the Rectory; Mr. Watson's
health, for one thing, causing them no inconsiderable anxiety; and
on different occasions when the latter was riding by chance in the
neighbourhood of Stanton, and had met Emma out walking with Elizabeth,
in view of all the perils of a singularly quiet neighbourhood, had
believed it incumbent on him to escort her the whole way home, leading
his horse by the bridle.
Nor is it to be supposed that Mr. Musgrave permitted himself to
be relegated to the background, where a new and pretty woman was
concerned; even had she not possessed the additional importance, in
his eyes, of having aroused Lord Osborne from his habitual apathy. He
addressed himself to her without loss of time, confident of success,
and wholly incapable of believing that her indifference was genuine.
But Emma's contempt for him, as can well be imagined, only served to
aggravate the mortification from which poor Margaret was constrained
to suffer; and she could not be prevailed upon to go to the Osbornes'
dance, although her father had expressed his willingness to remain, for
once, by himself.
On the night of the ball, Emma and Elizabeth were received with every
attention by Lord Osborne, who met them in the hall; and Lady Osborne
both curtsied and held out her hand; but Miss Osborne contented herself
with a very short curtsey; while Miss Carr found herself obliged to
become so engrossed in Colonel Beresford that she could not see them at
all.
Lord Osborne was to open the ball with the Countess of X----, but he
engaged Emma for the next two dances; and Mr. Howard secured her for
the first two, and led her aside.
"This is just your second dance, is it not?"
"Oh, no! I have been out a year."
"Preposterous! A year's licence for breaking hearts in."
"Hearts so easily broken would be scarcely worth considering."
"Do not you, then, preserve them in a glass case?"
"I never preserve what I do not value."
"So young and so untender!"
"'So young, my lord, and true!'"
"I did not know young ladies were students of Shakespeare."
"No doubt they are more intelligent at breaking hearts, and preserving
them in a glass case!"
Miss Osborne, who was near to her at the moment, turned and looked at
her in cold surprise, then passed on; but Emma's face was at once so
arch and sweet that Mr. Howard was wholly charmed, and bending slightly
over her, took a white rose from his coat and begged her to honour him
by wearing it. Then as the violins were playing, and several couples
leaving the room, they followed in their wake.
As Emma entered the ball-room, all eyes were fixed on her--it passed
from mouth to mouth that she was the prettiest woman in the room, and
she was speedily acclaimed the _belle_.
Gentlemen flocked round her, begging for introductions; and Tom
Musgrave was foremost in presenting himself; but Emma felt so keenly
all the misery he had caused her sister, that she declined to give him
an engagement for any dance, and without affording him any semblance of
excuse.
Never before had he received such treatment at the hands of any lady,
and least of all had he expected it from a Miss Watson.
Highly incensed, and with a view to covering his discomfiture, he
approached Miss Carr, and solicited her; but as she had witnessed what
had transpired, and would have been the last to accept a rejected
suitor, he was promptly dismissed, and retired to the card-room vowing
vengeance.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Mary Edwards had no lack of partners, as they
knew several of the officers present; and Lord Osborne had made a
point of introducing other gentlemen to them. Both were in good looks,
especially Elizabeth, who was accounted by several to be almost as
handsome as her sister.
In the course of the evening the Boulangeries were danced. This had
been arranged by Miss Osborne and Miss Carr, with a special view to
mortifying Emma; but to their disappointment, it transpired that
she was not only conversant with the several figures, but was also
accustomed to innovations; and on Lord Osborne requesting her to direct
a new movement, conducted it with a simple confidence which proved her
to be no novice.
Had Elizabeth been her mother, she could not have taken a greater pride
in her performance; and Charles was in ecstasies as she selected him
for her cavalier.
Lady Osborne, who had come in with Mrs. Blake to watch the dance,
entirely approved her conduct, fully recognizing that she acted in this
manner, not only that she might keep her promise to Charles of giving
him a dance, but also in order to avoid Lord Osborne, who made not
the slightest effort to conceal his admiration of her. Her eyes then
fell on her own daughter, and it seemed to her that never had she seen
her less in looks. Near to her was Miss Carr, and she could not but
note the ill-humour of her countenance. The next moment she was almost
startled by its sudden change of expression as she leaned forward to
speak to her son, and as she did so her designs on him were betrayed.
In point of fortune and connection there was nothing to be urged; but
in that moment Lady Osborne felt that if she were asked to choose
between her and Emma Watson for a daughter-in-law, she would be
constrained to give her suffrage to the latter--and again her eyes
wandered to her.
She was now dancing with Mr. Howard, in a temporary exchange of
partners, and it was very evident that he was quite absorbed in her.
At this moment, Miss Osborne passed near to her mother, and her
excessive pallor showed beneath her rouge.
Presently Colonel Beresford and his partner paused within a few steps
of her, without observing her, and she could not help hearing part of
their conversation.
"Osborne must be monstrous hard hit when he gives a dance."
"But you are all in love with this beautiful girl--are not you?--Look
at Mr. Howard!--and she is not insensible to his merit!"
"He has no chance against Lord Osborne. No young lady could refuse a
title!"
"Why such strictures! Do not you then allow anything for our hearts?"
"Zounds, Madam; I have more respect for your wits! I should form but a
mean opinion of any woman's understanding who would reject Lord Osborne
for his former tutor!"
Then they passed on; but in the short space that Lady Osborne had
stood there, it seemed to her that all the comedy and tragedy of the
ball had been revealed to her; no longer could she find any enjoyment
in it; and, sick at heart, she would have left the room only for the
observation it would have occasioned.
As Lady X---- had been obliged to return home early, Lord Osborne,
having danced twice with Emma, took her in to supper. Mr. Howard then
danced twice with her. He had admired her very much from the first;
and now was in a fair way to be very much in love with her. Casting
prudence to the winds, he drew her into the greenhouse and, in accents
which betrayed his emotion, endeavoured to thank her for having given
him the happiest evening of his life, begging her to favour him by
returning him the rose he had presented to her.
Emma was unable to meet the ardour of his eyes, and with fingers which
slightly trembled, she removed it from her dress.
He placed it in his breast and, raising her hand, pressed it to his
lips.
"I believe this is our dance, Mr. Howard," Miss Osborne's cold voice
broke in on them, and nothing could well have been less opportune.
Mr. Howard, however, appeared entirely unembarrassed, and, bowing
and smiling, gave her his arm--seeing that Colonel Beresford was
claiming Emma; and the latter saw him no more. For almost immediately
afterwards, Miss Edwards came to beg her to come home, as she had
promised her father to return early; and as Lady X---- had already
gone, there could be no impropriety in their doing so.
Lord Osborne attended them to the carriage, but Emma was almost wholly
silent, and he was deeply mortified by her reserve.