a splendidly-lighted apartment, somewhat
devoid of furniture, but decorated with evergreens, and further
adorned by a sort of muslin transparency hanging from the roof. This
was the servants' hall, and although on a stone floor, a capital room
for dancing it was. We were all soon provided with partners. Sir Guy,
much to her triumph, selected my maid, Gertrude. Lady Scapegrace
paired off with the steward, a fat, rosy man, who quite _shone_ with
delight at the honour. The French cook carried off Miss Molasses, with
whose native stupidity I thought the vivacious foreigner seemed a
little disappointed. Frank Lovell was taken possession of by the fat
housekeeper, to whom he "did the amiable," as Frank had the knack of
doing to anything with a petticoat. Cousin John handed off a stately
damsel, whom I afterwards recognized as the upper housemaid, and I was
claimed by a dapper little second-horse rider, of whom I flatter
myself I made a complete conquest by the interest I took in his
profession and the thorough knowledge I displayed of its details. I
had to make most of the conversation myself, certainly, for his
replies, though couched in terms of the deepest respect, and
accompanied by a chivalrous deference for my sex to which I was
totally unaccustomed from the partners of a London ball-room,
consisted for the most part of little more than "Yes, Miss," and "No,
Miss," with an additional smooth of the smoothest, shiniest head I
ever beheld. When I had exhausted the meets of the hounds for the
ensuing week, with a few general observations on the pursuit of
hunting, and the merits of that noble animal, the horse, I began to
get high and dry for further topics, and was not sorry when three
fiddles and a flute struck up their inspiriting tones, and away we all
went, "cross hands," "down the middle and up again," to the lively and
by this time tolerably familiar air of "Sir Roger de Coverley."

I am bound to confess that, as far as the servants were concerned,
everything went on with the utmost propriety and respect. Sir Guy,
indeed, pulled his partner about with an unnecessary degree of vigour,
which at times almost degenerated into a romp, and squeezed my hands
in "the Poussette" with an energy of affection which I could well have
dispensed with; but every one else was a very pattern of politeness
and decorum. In fact, the thing was almost getting stupid, when my
little second-horse rider and myself, returning breathless from