e will introduce me," said Fane, as he swept up
the room.

I watched him bow, and, after talking a few minutes, lead off his
"houri" for a _valse_; and disengaging myself from a Cambridge friend
whom I had met with, I professed my intention of following his example.

"What? Who did you say? That girl at the top there? Why, man, that's my
cousin Mary, and the other lady is my most revered aunt, Mrs. Aspeden.
Did you not know I and Ennuye were related? Y'ally I forget how,
exactly," he continued, mimicking the cornet. "But do you want to be
introduced to her? Come along then."

So, following my friend, who was a Trinity-man, of the name of
Cleaveland, I soon made acquaintance with Mrs. Aspeden and her daughter
Mary.

"_Who_ is he?" I heard Mrs. Aspeden ask, in a low tone, of Tom
Cleaveland, as I led off Mary to the _valse_.

"A very good fellow," was the good-natured Cantab's reply, "with lots of
tin and a glorious place. The shooting at Wilmot is really----"

"_Bien!_" said his aunt, as she took Lord Linton's arm to the
refreshment-room, satisfied, I suppose, on the strength of my "lots of
tin," that I was a safe companion for her child.

I found Mary Aspeden a most agreeable partner for a _dance_; she was
lively, agreeable, and a coquette, I felt sure (women with those dancing
eyes always are), and I thought I could not do better than amuse myself
by getting up a flirtation with her. What an intensely good opinion I
had of myself then! So I condescended to dance, though it was not
Almack's, and actually permitted myself to be amused. Strolling through
the rooms with Mary Aspeden on my arm, we entered one in which was an
alcove fitted up with a _vis-a-vis_ sofa (whoever planned that Layton
ball-room had a sympathy in the bottom of his heart for _tete-a-tete_),
and here Fane was seated, talking to his "houri" with the soft voice and
winning smiles which had gained the heart, or at least what portion of
that member they possessed, of so many London belles, and which would do
their work _here_ most assuredly.

"There is my cousin Florence--ah! she does not observe us. Who is the
gentleman with her?" said Miss Aspeden.

"My friend, Captain Fane," I replied. "You have heard of their rencontre
this morning?"

"Indeed! is he Tommy's champion, of whom he has done nothing but talk
all day, and of whom I could not make Florence say one word?" asked
Mary. "You must know our donkey is the most determined and resolute of