The Glenwood post., 1909-07-10

(this was . cruel thrust, for Sir Thon.
as was notoriously touchy about his
age) and would no more have run
away with you than I would this night
and God knows no woman in all the
three Kingdoms would go with you
now!"
| The delight Of the crowd was ex.
traordinary / believe they would
have mobbed Sir Thomas, except that
they felt that Lady Hawkshaw could
inf1ict the more exquisite misery on
him. The judges, still going up the
steps slowly, probably heard every
word of this controversy. The crowd
then part0l and taking Sir Thomas
horses by the bits, forced them to give
place to Lady Hawkshaw's coach, aHd
she descended amid the loudest cheers
of the populace.
Within the splendid ballroom Lady
Hawkshaws triumph was even more
marked. Numbers of great people
f1ocked around her; many of them had
been witnesses of her battle royal with
Sir Thomas, and the story had quickly
spread to the rest. Lady Hawkshaw,
in spite of her oddities, had always
maintained the respect of all who
knew her, and never saw / a woman
who bore. under all circumstances.
more unmistakably the air of a great
lady; whether squabbling with Sir
Peter, laying down the law to the
world at large, or speaking bad French,
she was invariably the woman of
quality.
The scene of the ball was so gor-
geous that even my sad heart took
note of it. The hall was ablaze with
wax lights, and huge band of musi-
clans brayed and trumpeted The lords
justices, the lords lieutenants of the
three Rulings. and many other persons
We're in full court costumes, and the
ladies' trains of brocade and velvet
were sight to see. And l may be par
doned for saying that Mistress Rich
ard Glyn was by no means the least
handsome of the women present
BY Lady Hawkshaw's command we
were all to look cheerful, and, when
l saw the outpouring of popular ap-
proval upon us as Giles Vernon's next
friends, my heart grew less heavy.
Lady Hawkshaw seated herself in a
large chair at the end of the hall,
where she held kind of court She
wore gown of some sort of crimson
stuff, with great tail to it, and on
her head was turban with bird of
paradise in it, and on top of that her
huge diamond tiara. Everybody flocked
to pay her court, and the lord lieuten-
of ho act ha
of her hand to open the ball She
promptly agreed, with the added re-
mark that she had not danced for 80
years. Sir Peter attempted to inter
pose.
You can not do 1t, my lady" he
said. You will trip up and break
your leg"
Not unless you trip me up, Sir
Peter" responded her ladyship, who
was totally unable to keep up the tur-
tle-dove style toward Sir Peter for any
appreciable length of time. My legs
are as good as the lord lieutenant's,
thank God! and l shall have pleasure
in dancing with his lordship."
Obeying a look from her, Daphne ac-
cepted partner, and l secured one in
the lord mayors daughter. Sir Thomas
| Vernon, who was then in the hall had
the ineffable impudence to wish to
dance in the country dance with us,
but he was met everywhere with cold
cold looks and refusals. The ladies
of the lords lieutenants were all en-
gagged: so were their daughters. 1t was
a picture to see him going along the
line of ladies sitting against the wall,
being repulsed by all, and his com
posure under these embarrassing cir
cumstances was the most extraordin-
airy thing ever saw. He wore a smile
upon his sickly, but handsome face all
the time, and, at last, he found part
ner in the person of monstrous ugly
woman, whose husband was in the
hides and leather trade.
We took our Places Lady Hawk
shaw and the lord lieutenant, a fne
handsome man, many years younger
than she, at the head of the room. And
then the musicians struck up, snd
Lady Hawkshaw began to dance.
(To BE CONTINUED.)