Miss Edwards, on hazarding the anxious enquiry of whether there were many people come yet, was told by the waiter, as she knew she should, that Mr. Tomlinson’s family were in the room.
In passing along a short gallery to the assembly room, brilliant in lights before them, they were accosted by a young man in a morning-dress and boots, who was standing in the doorway of a bedchamber apparently on purpose to see them go by.
‘Ah! Mrs. Edwards, how do you do? How do you do, Miss Edwards?’ he cried, with an easy air. ‘You are determined to be in good time, I see, as usual. The candles are but this moment lit.’
‘I like to get a good seat by the fire, you know, Mr. Musgrave,’ replied Mrs. Edwards,
‘I am this moment going to dress, said he ‘I am waiting for my stupid fellow. We shall have a famous hall. The Osbornes are certainly coming ; you may depend upon that, for I was with Lord Osborne this morning.’
The party passed on. Mrs. Edwards’ satin gown swept along the clean floor of the ballroom to the fireplace at the upper end, where one party only were formally seated, while three or four officers were lounging together, passing in and out from the adjoining card-room. A very stiff meeting between these near neighbours ensued, and as soon as they were all duly placed again, Emma, in a low whisper, which became the solemn scene, said to Miss Edwards :—
‘The gentleman we passed in the passage was Mr.
