I wonder why the young, and those who have only had the bright side of life turned to them, are so pitiless to the peculiarities, the faults, and the follies of others? It is only the old who are tolerant and merciful, speaking more kind words of their fellow-mien than malicious ones.
After a quarter of an hour's impartial survey of the charms passing beneath us, "I think," says Fane, "I may venture down now without being let in by Milly for twenty-five duty dances."
Rum-tum-tum-tiddy! goes the music.
"Come along," cries Fane, "you and I will have the first together, Nell!"
"Miss Adair is engaged to me for this," says Paul's voice behind me. How long has he been there, I wonder? "I have been looking for you everywhere," he says, as Fane and Captain Oliver go downstairs. "I thought your toilette must have proved a wonderfully complicated affair."
"Do you like me?" I ask, stepping back from him, and holding out my skirts in my hands. "You chose it for me you know; and, to tell you a secret, to-night I am not Helen Adair at all: I am Howell & James!"
"Like you?" he says, coming a pace nearer and looking at me keenly from head to foot, and from foot back to head again; "No, I don't like you!"
"I am sorry," I say disappointedly. "I thought I looked so nice! I was so charmed with myself!"
"I like your poppies," he says, touching those upon my shoulder with the tip of his finger. They make these things very well, do they not?"
"I will never ask you anything again as long as I live," I say, with dignity. "You might have tried, at any rate, to say some thing just a little polite;" and I march away.
