re close
to the main road; by good luck a boy was found to conduct the animal
home, and by a still greater piece of good luck the Robinsons' carriage
happened to be coming along just then, so the little man, who did not
take up much room, was popped into it, and as much pitied and mourned
over by the lady occupants as was _pere Guilleri_ in the French song.
And, to do him justice, even without this consolation, he had taken his
mishap very quietly from the first, as soon as he found himself not
injured in any vital, _i. e._ dancing part.

Having finished their road at a more leisurely pace, our two horsemen
arrived at the glen after most of the company were assembled there. And
as the place was one of general resort, they noticed traces of other
parties, people of the Simpson class, hail-fellow-well-met men, who
didn't dance but took it out in drinking, and who in their intercourse
with the other sex, betrayed more vulgar familiarity and less refined
indecency than characterized the men and boys of White, Edwards,
Robinson, and Co.'s set. But of these it may be supposed that the set
took no heed. There was some really pretty scenery about the glen, but
they took no heed of that either--to be sure, most of them had seen it
at least once before. They had gone straight to the largest parlor of
the house, and led, as usual, by the indefatigable Edwards, had begun
their tricks with the chairs. Booted and spurred as he was, and with his
arm in a sling, the ever-ready youth had already arranged the German
cotillion, taking the head himself, and constituting Sumner his second
in command. Benson was left out of this dance for coming too late, one
of the ladies told him; but he did not find the punishment very severe,
as he rather preferred walking with Ashburner, and showing him the
adjacent woods. As they passed out through several specimens of the
Simpson species, who were smoking and lounging around the door,
Ashburner nearly ran over a very pretty young woman who was coming up
the steps. She was rather rustically, but not unbecomingly dressed, and
altogether so fresh and rosy that it was a treat to see her after the
fine town ladies, even the youngest of whom were beginning to look faded
and jaded from the dissipation of the season. But when she opened her
mouth in reply to Benson's affable salutation, it was like the girl in
the fairy tale dropping toads and adders, so nasal, harsh, and
inharmonious was the tone in which sh