g paused some minutes:
"I bet," said he, "that it is the Duchess of Newcastle." "And I," said
Lord Muskerry, coming up to Miss Hamilton, "will bet it is another fool;
for I am very much mistaken if it is not my wife."

The king was for sending to know who it was, and to bring her in: Lord
Muskerry offered himself for that service, for the reason already
mentioned; and it was very well he did so. Miss Hamilton was not sorry
for this, knowing very well that he was not mistaken in his conjecture;
the jest would have gone much farther than she intended, if the Princess
of Babylon had appeared in all her glory.

The ball was not very well executed, if one maybe allowed the expression,
so long as they danced only slow dances; and yet there were as good
dancers, and as beautiful women in this assembly, as were to be found in
the whole world: but as their number was not great, they left the French,
and went to country dances. When they had danced some time, the king
thought fit to introduce his auxiliaries, to give the others a little
respite; the queen's and the duchess's maids of honour were therefore
called in to dance with the gentlemen.

Then it was that they were at leisure to take notice of Miss Blague, and
they found that the billet they had conveyed to her on the part of
Brisacier had its effect: she was more yellow than saffron: her hair was
stuffed with the citron-coloured riband, which she had put there out of
complaisance; and, to inform Brisacier of his fate, she raised often to
her head her victorious hands, adorned with the gloves we have before
mentioned: but, if they were surprised to see her in a head-dress that
made her look more wan than ever, she was very differently surprised to
see Miss Price partake with her in every particular of Brisacier's
present: her surprise soon turned to jealousy; for her rival had not
failed to join in conversation with him, on account of what had been
insinuated to her the evening before; nor did Brisacier fail to return
her first advances, without paying the least attention to the fair
Blague, nor to the signs which she was tormenting herself to make him,
to inform him of his happy destiny.

Miss Price was short and thick, and consequently no dancer, the Duke of
Buckingham, who brought Brisacier forward as often as he could, came to
desire him, on the part of the king, to dance with Miss Blague, without
knowing what was then passing in this nymph's heart: Brisacier excused