Page 6 (1/1)

Mrs Allen was so long in dressing that they did not enter the ballroom till late The season was full, the room crowded, and the two ladies squeezed in as well as they could As for Mr Allen, he repaired directly to the card-room, and left them to enjoy a own than for the coh the throng of men by the door, as swiftly as the necessary caution would allow; Catherine, however, kept close at her side, and linked her arm too firmly within her friend's to be torn asunder by any co assembly But to her utter a the rooe themselves from the crowd; it seeined that when once fairly within the door, they should easily find seats and be able to watch the dances with perfect convenience But this was far froained even the top of the roo of the dancers but the high feathers of so better was yet in view; and by a continued exertion of strength and ingenuity they found thehest bench Here there was so less of crowd than below; and hence Miss Morland had a comprehensive view of all the coe through thean, for the first tied to dance, but she had not an acquaintance in the room Mrs Allen did all that she could do in such a case by saying very placidly, every now and then, "I wish you could dance, et a partner" For soed to her for these wishes; but they were repeated so often, and proved so totally ineffectual, that Catherine grew tired at last, and would thank her noable, however, to enjoy the repose of the eained Everybody was shortly in motion for tea, and they an to feel so continually pressed against by people, the generality of whose faces possessed nothing to interest, and with all of whom she was so wholly unacquainted that she could not relieve the irksoe of a syllable with any of her fellow captives; and when at last arrived in the tea-roo no party to join, no acquaintance to clai of Mr