Litchfield enquirer., 1875-09-30

are coming to crisis between them and their lovers. Edith sits by her cousin, and both are thinking the same thoughts.
 They go out together on the terrace afterwards, and sit facing the river. '' ,. Deity and Lady Ann, Augusta and Lady Harriet come out in pairs. Horses and pony-carts are ordered, and the morning is got through somehow.
 At luncheon the delinquents appear. Dick comes at once to his cousin. shows her his trophies, and leans on the back of her chair talking about them :; he is going to sit down beside her when his mother dispatches him to carve, and Nan thinks evil of Lady Wyatt in her heart.
 So on throughout the unsatisfactory day.
 It is wasted--absolutely, irrevocably wasted. Days of this sort are every one's experience. They are days of mistakes, blunders, stupidity.
 What but blunder was it on the part of good Lady Wyatt fo order the man ouk of the way, in order that her girls might be brisk and sprightly for the ball and what but stupidity was it on the part of the men to obey. -5 ta
 Nan begins to look forward almost wild ly to the evening. . ..s.l. s--e.-4 ....
 Carefully, ,anxiOusly, does she array her. self before the mirror. Her dress is all that it should be this time, -bespufed, be-hounced, be lowered in the most ap- proved style, yet pure, simple, and fresh as the fair wearer herself.
 Deity pronouDces her perfect hair, ornaments. everything. c
 Deity meanwhile is gaping at herself, as she is reflected by the great glass into a hand glass, which she holds aloft with one arm. Hs .ffa{f ss .u... a41e.L .-tt
 Deity. I have not got single pair of clean gloves"
 'There is box, take a dozen if you like. I always take care to have q clean pair in my pocket.g2au .Ia....o D F ..-<
 What size are they ?" -- ...--,
 '.These will do, thanks, " says Nan. "Does Dick "A hair-pin. dear. don't you see? A big, fat one. There That Thanks r 33 10'
 DO Dick and Walter--" anee.
 ''Oh, look here, Nan! can you put this right? felt sure there was something wrong that woman never does do my hair as like it. Shall I have to take down the whole side9 An that's better. Thank yOu--yes, that will do. You see, Nan, I have to seize the moment when she goes out of the room" Maid re-enters, came to discover about Dick and Walter.
 Dick is reading in the drawing-room when the bevy of maidens rustic in. He looks up kindly; and Edith is emboldened to ask her brother if he likes their dresses; Burnand's eyes have already told his opinion. :. Much about the usual thing, aren't they, Edie ?' . s--- =. -..a.
 Don't you think Mans pretty r.
 "Much about the same, isn't it, Nan ?" says cruel Dick,
 On this goddess in clouds of azure gives MT. Wyatt an encouraging smile. Balls and ball dresses are 90 stupid P says Miss Bushe, sympathisingly.
 Mans ball begins we'll. l1 r Her cousins arc pleased with her, and proud of her. If she had been blind, halt, or maimed, Edie and Deity would still hhsvsrsEsless fheyy yi are fGiTly1 able to dlstin: guish and appreciate the difference be- tween distributing the glances of Ia bright eyed favourite among eager applicants, and inhicting the hand of a soured and sorrowful dummy upon men who can hardly be persuaded to take it.
 So. first, Edith leads up fair man, and then Deity dark one and 8 little of the old Queens Gate feeling comes over Nan as she whirls away among the dancers.
 There is no crowd. The long lofty rooms would hold nearly double the num- Der assembled. Tie spring in the floor is delicious.
 Mans feet fly. and for the first half-hour she can think of nothing but the delight of dancing. 4
 It is clear that Dick is not going to dance.
 He is lounging in the doorway, in the midst of bundle of black coats, little Hefton with him.
 Pax Bnrnand is dancing again and again with Edith, and Mr. Dallie ia engaged to every girl in the room. +s
 Mans eyes begin to turn wistfully to- wards that doorway. but she has not much breathing g-space, for she is in great re- quest so4 l.a. a..s 4 s....f
 Must she accept every, proposal? So she supposes. Aunt Eliza's teschino being that under no circumstances can q young lady refuse to dance, unless she intends sitting down all the evening. sf
 This being the Queens Gate creed. Nan acts up to 1t. 0'-T
 She remembers her cousin Williams wrathful invectives, when he had been once, as he termed it, ''thrown over," and would be loath to tempt any one to speak so of her. , -... ,. Walter has danced twice with his cousiD. He did not see Nan till she was Tn bal[attire, when he decided at once that she was pretty, but not equal by any means to Miss Bushe. v
 Walter is 8 neat youth, infinitely more of lady's man than his brother. He thinks Dick is too much of a swell. but consoles himself with the bad make of his boots. '' .''' '' Esiq
 True to Edwin's congratulations. the fellows have also arrived, and some of them ask to be introduced to Miss Church. The. red-haived girl with her ivory-ike skin, is one of the bellies of the room. F4 lf- ftr. .-.-f v... .'rs.f...sr
 She is good dancer, too, and iudefa. tigable; but paler and paler grow Nan's cheeks.
 At last she really cannot go on. ! Dick has just passed into the supper. room with Geofgie Dent on his arm; and as they went by, Eddy and she were in their way. Eddy, who has been forsaken of late by Miss Henrietta, has in cOnse- quence transferred his affections and just as Dick was behind, he was passion ately imploring his partner to go out of doors with him. l1 sat 1-s
 Seeing the impression she makes on the fellows increases, perhaps it originally suggested Edwin's ardour.
 He sticks to her. He declares, VOWS. and protests with unfagging earnestness that she is engaged to him. .s3E
 He fnveigles her into confidenelAl seats. and detains her nearly half an hour at supper. tla,- -,.. -.,.--..i..f. tx
 Bewildered Nan is no match for him. She is only conscious of her secret, and will work herself to death to hide it. a So she talks and simpers, and would give anything to be rid of her tornentor. But it was too much to have Dick over. hear Edwin's folly. There he was. pressed againnss sa an'. then them in the doorway, quietly tiresome boy--oh, how could he do it.
 Nan owns at last that she is tired.T
 She seats herself resolntely within the