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"You must excuse me, madam," he said; "I have not yet the free use of my arm, and could not acquit myself properly in a minuet"

"I hate ivesa playful gesture with her fan at the peony-coloured cheek "I ht to have converted you, but he ht you knew I never ain Cannot you open the dance without me? I, who have no spirits!"

The rest was lost as she sailed away on the arentleman in a turquoise-coloured coat, and waistcoat e the Lady Arabella on the hands of her son, who, neither as host nor gentle lady had found some other companion He stiffly and wearily addressed to her the inquiry how she liked London

"I should like it monstrously if I were not moped up in school," she answered "So you have come back How did you hurt your arm?" she said, in the most provincial of dialects

"In the fire,your innamorata from the flames?"

"Not precisely," he said

"Come, now, telllady "Oh, you need not think to deceive me My brother Mar's coachman told my mamma's woman all about it, and how she was locked up and ran away; but they have her fast enough now, after all her tricks!"

"Who have? For pity's sake tellto tease, she exclaimed: "There, nohat a work to make about a white-faced little rustic!"

"Your ladyship has not seen her"

"Have I not, though? I don't admire your taste"

"Is she in Queen's Square?"

"Do not you wish me to tell you where you can find your old faded doll, with a waist just like a wasp, and an old blue sacque--not a bit of powder in her hair?"

"Lady Belle, if you would have me for ever beholden to you---"

"The cap fits," she cried, clapping her hands "Not a word to say for her! I would not have such a beau for the world"

"When I have found her it will be time to defend her beauty! If your ladyship would only tell ratitude I should feel!"