if the carriage was ready.

The dance was over, the carriage was waiting, but Guy and Laura did not
appear till, after two or three minutes spent in wonder and inquiries,
they came quietly walking back from the library, where they had been
looking at King Charles.

All the way home the four ladies in the carriage never ceased laughing
and talking. The three gentlemen in theirs acted diversely. Mr.
Edmonstone went to sleep, Philip sat in silent thought, Guy whistled
and hummed the tunes, and moved his foot very much as if he was still
dancing.

They met for a moment, and parted again in the hall at Hollywell, where
the daylight was striving to get in through the closed shutters. Philip
went on to Broadstone, Guy said he could not go to bed by daylight,
called Bustle, and went to the river to bathe, and the rest crept
upstairs to their rooms. And so ended Lord Kilcoran's ball.

CHAPTER 8

Like Alexander, I will reign,
And I will reign alone,
My thoughts shall ever more disdain
A rival near my throne.
But I must rule and govern still,
And always give the law,
And have each subject at my will,
And all to stand in awe.
--MONTROSE.

One very hot afternoon, shortly after the ball, Captain Morville walked
to Hollywell, accelerating his pace under the influence of anxious
reflections.

He could not determine whether Charles had spoken in jest; but in spite
of Guy's extreme youth, he feared there was ground for the suspicion
excited by the hint, and was persuaded that such an attachment could
produce nothing but unhappiness to his cousin, considering how little
confidence could be placed in Guy. He perceived that there was much to
inspire affection--attractive qualities, amiable disposition, the talent
for music, and now this recently discovered power of versifying, all
were in Guy's favour, besides the ancient name and long ancestry, which
conferred a romantic interest, and caused even Philip to look up to him
with a feudal feeling as head of the family. There was also the familiar
intercourse to increase the danger; and Philip, as he reflected on these
things, trembled for Laura, and felt himself her only protector; for his
uncle was nobody, Mrs. Edmonstone was infatuated, and Charles would not
listen to reason. To make everything worse, he had that morning
heard that there was to be a grand inspection of the regiment, and a
presentation of co