in
thinking that dancing would contaminate a conversazione. What are
your ideas, Miss Grantly?" Griselda was never very good at a joke,
and imagined that Lord Lufton wanted to escape the trouble of dancing
with her. This angered her. For the only species of love-making,
or flirtation, or sociability between herself as a young lady, and
any other self as a young gentleman, which recommended itself to
her taste, was to be found in the amusement of dancing. She was
altogether at variance with Mrs. Proudie on this matter, and gave
Miss Dunstable great credit for her innovation. In society Griselda's
toes were more serviceable to her than her tongue, and she was to
be won by a rapid twirl much more probably than by a soft word. The
offer of which she would approve would be conveyed by two all but
breathless words during a spasmodic pause in a waltz; and then as she
lifted up her arm to receive the accustomed support at her back, she
might just find power enough to say, "You--must ask--papa." After
that she would not care to have the affair mentioned till everything
was properly settled.

"I have not thought about it," said Griselda, turning her face away
from Lord Lufton.

It must not, however, be supposed that Miss Grantly had not thought
about Lord Lufton, or that she had not considered how great might be
the advantage of having Lady Lufton on her side if she made up her
mind that she did wish to become Lord Lufton's wife. She knew well
that now was her time for a triumph, now in this very first season of
her acknowledged beauty; and she knew also that young, good-looking
bachelor lords do not grow on hedges like blackberries. Had Lord
Lufton offered to her, she would have accepted him at once without
any remorse as to the greater glories which might appertain to a
future Marchioness of Hartletop. In that direction she was not
without sufficient wisdom. But then Lord Lufton had not offered to
her, nor given any signs that he intended to do so; and to give
Griselda Grantly her due, she was not a girl to make a first
overture. Neither had Lord Dumbello offered; but he had given
signs,--dumb signs, such as birds give to each other, quite as
intelligible as verbal signs to a girl who preferred the use of her
toes to that of her tongue. "I have not thought about it," said
Griselda, very coldly, and at that moment a gentleman stood before
her and asked her hand for the next dance. It was Lord Dumbello; and
Griselda, making