196 EARLY REMINISCENCES they did. In the first detachment were Mrs. Frazer and Mrs. Ellis, riding in the carriage of the latter. " The second detachment comprised the girls walking, attended by a servant. When we, that is to say, Sabine, Margaret and I, heard that they were coming, we set out to meet them, but, unfortunately wTent the wrong way, and so missed them. But when we came back, they were at S. Aulaire, as large as life and twice as beautiful, but—confound it—there was their little brother with them, and I was obliged to take him about the garden, away from the rest, to show him my ship and the gold fish in the pond, though I had other fish I wanted to angle for. However, when they moved to go, Mr. Hadow, Sabine, Miss Richardson and Margaret went to escort the young ladies home. And, of course, I thought it my duty to go as well. So go we did, and had such fun. When we had gone a little way, sister Margaret and Miss Richardson left us. Mr. Hadow walked beside Margaret Frazer, the eldest of the adorable three. I walked between Ellen and Constance, with the arm of the former in mine. Constance had refused my arm, but, no odds, she had refused Sabine's five minutes before. I did my utmost to be poetical and imaginative, but did not succeed in my efforts to my satisfaction. I vowed that her eyes were diamonds, and her teeth pearls, and sundry other like things." I interrupt my brother's narrative to observe that Solomon, the wisest of men, and long, long after he had grown his tails, made very similar remarks, but somewhat broader, to the Shunamite. This, by the way, in exculpation of my brother. " Tuesday, 28th. Went to a ball at the Labattes'. . . A very grand affair, but dull for me. Beside ourselves there were no English, save young Graham. The Frazers were not there. Not being grown out of boyhood, I was at a discount. I asked some French ladies to dance, but they were either engaged, or we could find no vis-d-vis. So I danced but once, and Sabine but twice. " The next ball we were at was at the Leaches'. Not a large affair, and not many French there. Some English girls are rather lumpish as partners. There was one, the dragging round of whom in a waltz was like dancing with one's arm round a potato sack. French girls are never like that.
