tage of the decanters having made
their appearance on the table, she bent her head to Mrs. Evesham, and
the rising of the ladies put an end to the subject, at all events for
the present. "If," thought Lady Mary, as she followed her guests to
the drawing-room, "I can only stop their talking any more about this
wretched ball, there will be no harm done. Jim, Captain Braybrooke,
and the Sartorises are welcome to go, so long as the rest stay at home."

Though silent, Pansey Cottrell had been an amused auditor of the
previous conversation. Living, as he habitually had done from his
boyhood, always in society, he derived no little amusement from
watching the foibles and manoeuvres of those around him, and
occasionally indulged himself by gently pulling the strings for his own
diversion. It was a secret that had been penetrated by only a few of
his intimates, but there was lurking in Pansey Cottrell a spirit of
mischief that sometimes urged him to contravene the schemes of his
associates. It was never from any feeling of malice, but from a sheer
sense of fun. The present state of affairs, for instance, tickled him
immensely. He knew that poor Lady Mary had resolutely made up her mind
that the Grange party should have none of this ball, and equally did he
foresee that there was every probability of both herself and all her
guests being present at it. Secondly, she had brought Lionel Beauchamp
down here, far away from rival beauties, so that Miss Blanche might
capture him at her leisure; and such was Lady Mary's malignant star,
that an exceedingly pretty and fascinating stranger immediately
appeared upon the scene. Now this was just one of the little dramas
that it so amused Pansey Cottrell occasionally to exercise his
influence in. I do not mean to say that he would interfere to such an
extent as to either make or mar the wedding; but to take part with the
conspirators and coerce Lady Mary into going to this Commonstone ball
was a bit of mischief quite in his way. He could not resist the
temptation of teasing his fellow-creatures, and what gave such
particular zest to such tormenting was that his victims were always
perfectly unconscious that he was at the bottom of their annoyance.

In the drawing-room Lady Mary expressed her disapproval of the ball so
strongly that Mrs. Sartoris felt quite guilty, and rather repented her
of having volunteered to join Captain Bloxam's party; but when the
gentlemen made their appear