“O, you horrid creature!” cried Jessie, “I am sure it was your doing.  I am sure it was your doing.  I am sure you will give me a scorpion, or some dreadful creature!  I won’t let you take me in to supper on Monday, I declare.”

“Perhaps I won’t have you.  I mean to have Cousin Henrietta for my partner, if she will have me.”

“Thank you, Cousin Roger,” faltered Henrietta, blushing crimson, with the doubt whether she was saying the right thing, and fearing Jessie might be vexed.  Her confusion was increased the next moment, as Roger, looking at her more fully than he had done before, went on, “Much honoured, cousin.  Now, all of you wish me joy.  I am safe to have the prettiest girl in the room for my partner.  But how slow of them all not to have engaged her before.  Eh!  Alex, what have you to say for yourself?”

“I hope for Queen Bee,” said Alex.

“And Jessie must dance with me, because I don’t know how,” said Carey.

“My dears, this will never do!” interposed grandmamma.  “You can’t all dance with each other, or what is to become of the company?  I never heard of such a thing.  Let me see:  Queen Bee must open the ball with little Henry Hargrave, and Roger must dance with Miss Benson.”

“No, no,” cried Roger, “I won’t give up my partner, ma’am; I am a privileged person, just come home.  Knight Sutton has not had too much of Henrietta or me, so you must let us be company.  Come, Cousin Henrietta, stick fast to your engagement; you can’t break the first promise you ever made me.  Here,” proceeded he, jumping up, and holding out his hand, “let us begin this minute; I’ll show you how we waltz with the Brazilian ladies.”

“Thank you, Cousin Roger, I cannot waltz,” said Henrietta.

“That’s a pity.  Come, Jessie, then.”

If the practice of waltzing was not to be admired, there was something which was very nice in the perfect good humour with which Jessie answered her cousin’s summons, without the slightest sign of annoyance at his evident preference of Henrietta’s newer face.

“If I can’t waltz, I can play for you,” said Henrietta, willing not to seem disobliging; and going to the piano, she played whilst Roger and Jessie whirled merrily round the room, every now and then receiving shocks against the furniture and minding them not the least in the world, till at last, perfectly out of breath, they dropped laughing upon the sofa.

The observations upon the wild spirits of sailors ashore then sank into silence; Mrs. Roger Langford reproved her son for making such a racket, as was enough to kill his Aunt Mary; with a face of real concern he apologised from the bottom of his heart, and Aunt Mary in return assured him that she enjoyed the sight of his merriment.

Grandmamma announced in her most decided tone that she would have no waltzes and no polkas at her party.  Roger assured her that there was no possibility of giving a dance without them, and Jessie seconded him as much as she ventured; but Mrs. Langford was unpersuadable, declaring that she would have no such things in her house.  Young people in her days were contented to dance country dances; if they wanted anything newer, they might have quadrilles, but as to these new romps, she would not hear of them.