lking
a minuet with the bride; then he took out the young lady to whom he was
recommended by Gauntlet, being very well pleased to see that her person
was such as might have inspired even Emily herself with jealousy,
though, at the same time, he perceived his mistress coupled with a gay
young officer, whom, with all due deference to his own qualifications,
he considered as no despicable rival. However, he himself first began
hostilities, by becoming all of a sudden particular with his partner,
whom he forthwith assailed with flattering compliments, that soon
introduced the subject of love, upon which he expatiated with great
art and elocution, using not only the faculty of speech, but also the
language of the eyes, in which he was a perfect connoisseur.

This behaviour soon manifested itself to the whole assembly, the
greatest part of whom believed that he was in good earnest captivated
by the charms of his partner; while Emilia, penetrating into his
design, turned his own artillery upon himself, by seeming to listen with
pleasure to the addresses of his rival, who was no novice in the art of
making love. She even affected uncommon vivacity, and giggled aloud at
every whisper which he conveyed into her ear, insomuch that she, in
her turn, afforded speculation to the company, who imagined the young
soldier had made a conquest of the bridegroom's sister. Pickle
himself began to cherish the same opinion, which gradually invaded his
good-humour, and at length filled his bosom with rage. He strove to
suppress his indignation, and called every consideration of vanity
and revenge to his aid. He endeavoured to wean his eyes from the fatal
object that disturbed him, but they would not obey his direction and
command. He wished himself deprived of all sensation, when he heard
her laugh, and saw her smile upon the officer; and, in the course of
country-dancing, when he was obliged to join hands with her, the touch
thrilled through all his nerves, and kindled a flame within him which he
could not contain. In a word, his endeavours to conceal the situation of
his thoughts were so violent, that his constitution could not endure the
shock; the sweat ran down his forehead in a stream, the colour vanished
from his cheeks, his knees began to totter, and his eyesight to fail; so
that he must have fallen at his full length upon the floor, had not he
retired very abruptly into another room, where he threw himself upon a
couch, and fainted.