condescended to accept Mrs. Rennie's invitation to her own house.
The exclusiveness of classes, and sects, and cliques, is extremely
amusing to me. But I am engaged to dance this dance with Miss Rennie,
so you must excuse me."

As Francis went up to claim Miss Rennie's hand, a gentleman was in the
act of asking it--"I am engaged to Mr. Hogarth--see my card--but as you
are a stranger in Edinburgh, you will be obliged to me for introducing
you to his cousin, one of the sweetest girls in the world, and one
whose story is the most interesting and the most romantic I ever heard.
Oh! Mr. Dalzell, I forgot you."

"This is sad, to be so easily forgotten. I had hoped that my requests
had made more impression," said he.

"I do not think Laura is engaged for this dance. Excuse me a moment
till I ascertain." Miss Rennie walked across the room, leaving William
Dalzell and the stranger together, but she presently returned, with the
assurance that Miss Wilson was disengaged, and would be happy to be
introduced to Mr. Dalzell. Miss Wilson was ward of Mrs. Rennie's, as
Jane had heard, a West Indian heiress, somewhat stupid, and very much
impressed with her own wealth and importance. Miss Rennie had a pitying
sort of liking for her, though sometimes Laura's airs were too much for
her, and they would not speak to each other for a week at a time. She
had just left school, having made all the progress which money without
natural ability or any of the usual incentives to application could
attain, and was to live at the Rennies', which she thought a very dull
place. This large party was the brightest thing in her horizon at
present, and she was looking her best, and took her place in the dance
with one of the handsomest men in the room, with much more animation
than was usual with her.

"Now," said Miss Rennie, "I have done my best for Mr. Dalzell. I must
attend to my other stranger before I fulfil my engagement to you, Mr.
Hogarth, and I hope you will excuse me, when it is to get a partner for
Alice. Miss Melville, I suppose, does not care about dancing, she is so
dreadfully matter-of-fact. I know you have been talking politics, or
something as bad, in that corner all this evening."

So Miss Rennie led the stranger across the room, and introduced Miss
Alice Melville to Mr. Brandon, from Australia.

Chapter XII.

Mr. Brandon In Edinburgh

"You must excuse any blunders I may make in my dancing, Miss Melville,
for I am an old