Weeks had worn on, and the seven-and-sixpenny town-mades had nearly worn
out, when the night arrived for the grand dress-ball at which the whole
of the five-and-seventy pupils were to meet together, for the first time
that season, and to take out some portion of their respective
four-and-sixpences in lamp-oil and fiddlers. Mr. Augustus Cooper had
ordered a new coat for the occasion--a two-pound-tenner from Turnstile.
It was his first appearance in public; and, after a grand Sicilian
shawl-dance by fourteen young ladies in character, he was to open the
quadrille department with Miss Billsmethi herself, with whom he had
become quite intimate since his first introduction. It _was_ a night!
Everything was admirably arranged. The sandwich-boy took the hats and
bonnets at the street-door; there was a turn-up bedstead in the back
parlour, on which Miss Billsmethi made tea and coffee for such of the
gentlemen as chose to pay for it, and such of the ladies as the gentlemen
treated; red port-wine negus and lemonade were handed round at
eighteen-pence a head; and in pursuance of a previous engagement with the
public-house at the corner of the street, an extra potboy was laid on for
the occasion. In short, nothing could exceed the arrangements, except
the company. Such ladies! Such pink silk stockings! Such artificial
flowers! Such a number of cabs! No sooner had one cab set down a couple
of ladies, than another cab drove up and set down another couple of
ladies, and they all knew: not only one another, but the majority of the
gentlemen into the bargain, which made it all as pleasant and lively as
could be. Signor Billsmethi, in black tights, with a large blue bow in
his buttonhole, introduced the ladies to such of the gentlemen as were
strangers: and the ladies talked away--and laughed they did--it was
delightful to see them.

As to the shawl-dance, it was the most exciting thing that ever was
beheld; there was such a whisking, and rustling, and fanning, and getting
ladies into a tangle with artificial flowers, and then disentangling them
again! And as to Mr. Augustus Cooper's share in the quadrille, he got
through it admirably. He was missing from his partner, now and then,
certainly, and discovered on such occasions to be either dancing with
laudable perseverance in another set, or sliding about in perspective,
without any definite object; but, generally speaking, they managed to
shove him through the figure, until