eutenant of the county usually came with a large
party to the Hamley assemblies once in a season; and this night he was
expected, and with him a fashionable duchess and her daughters. But time
wore on, and they did not make their appearance. At last there was a
rustling and a bustling, and in sailed the superb party. For a few
minutes dancing was stopped; the earl led the duchess to a sofa; some of
their acquaintances came up to speak to them; and then the quadrilles
were finished in rather a flat manner. A country dance followed, in
which none of the lord-lieutenant's party joined; then there was a
consultation, a request, an inspection of the dancers, a message to the
orchestra, and the band struck up a waltz; the duchess's daughters flew
off to the music, and some more young ladies seemed ready to follow, but,
alas! there was a lack of gentlemen acquainted with the new-fashioned
dance. One of the stewards bethought him of young Wilkins, only just
returned from the Continent. Edward was a beautiful dancer, and waltzed
to admiration. For his next partner he had one of the Lady ---s; for the
duchess, to whom the--shire squires and their little county politics and
contempts were alike unknown, saw no reason why her lovely Lady Sophy
should not have a good partner, whatever his pedigree might be, and
begged the stewards to introduce Mr. Wilkins to her. After this night
his fortune was made with the young ladies of the Hamley assemblies. He
was not unpopular with the mammas; but the heavy squires still looked at
him askance, and the heirs (whom he had licked at Eton) called him an
upstart behind his back.

CHAPTER II.

It was not a satisfactory situation. Mr. Wilkins had given his son an
education and tastes beyond his position. He could not associate with
either profit or pleasure with the doctor or the brewer of Hamley; the
vicar was old and deaf, the curate a raw young man, half frightened at
the sound of his own voice. Then, as to matrimony--for the idea of his
marriage was hardly more present in Edward's mind than in that of his
father--he could scarcely fancy bringing home any one of the young ladies
of Hamley to the elegant mansion, so full of suggestion and association
to an educated person, so inappropriate a dwelling for an ignorant,
uncouth, ill-brought-up girl. Yet Edward was fully aware, if his fond
father was not, that of all the young ladies who were glad enough of him
as a partner at t