s, and large gloves and hands, and a profusion of diamonds
and jewels in his waistcoat and stock, with coarse feet crumpled
into immense shiny boots, and a piece of parti-coloured ribbon in his
button-hole, here came up and nodded familiarly to the Chevalier.

The Chevalier shook hands. "My friend Mr. Pendennis," Strong said.
"Colonel Altamont, of the bodyguard of his Highness the Nawaub of
Lucknow." That officer bowed to the salute of Pen; who was now looking
out eagerly to see if the person wanted had entered the room.

Not yet. But the band began presently performing 'See the Conquering
Hero comes,' and a host of fashionables--Dowager Countess of
Rockminster, Mr. Pynsent and Miss Bell, Sir Francis Clavering, Bart., of
Clavering Park, Lady Clavering and Miss Amory, Sir Horace Fogey, Bart.,
Lady Fogey, Colonel and Mrs. Higgs Wagg, Esq. (as the county paper
afterwards described them), entered the room.

Pen rushed by Blanche, ran up to Laura, and seized her hand. "God bless
you!" he said, "I want to speak to you--I must speak to you--Let me
dance with you." "Not for three dances, dear Pen," she said, smiling:
and he fell back, biting his nails with vexation, and forgetting to
salute Pynsent.

After Lady Rockminster's party, Lady Clavering's followed in the
procession.

Colonel Altamont eyed it hard, holding a most musky pocket-handkerchief
up to his face, and bursting with laughter behind it.

"Who's the gal in green along with 'em, Cap'n?" he asked of Strong.

"That's Miss Amory, Lady Clavering's daughter," replied the Chevalier.

The Colonel could hardly contain himself for laughing.

CHAPTER XXVII. Contains some Ball-practising

Under some calico draperies in the shady embrasure of a window, Arthur
Pendennis chose to assume a very gloomy and frowning countenance, and
to watch Miss Bell dance her first quadrille with Mr. Pynsent for a
partner. That gentleman was as solemn and severe as Englishmen are upon
such occasions, and walked through the dance as he would have walked
up to his pew in church, without a smile upon his face, or allowing any
outward circumstance to interfere with his attention to the grave duty
in which he was engaged. But Miss Laura's face was beaming with pleasure
and good-nature. The lights and the crowd and music excited her. As she
spread out her white robes, and performed her part of the dance, smiling
and happy, her brown ringlets flowing back over her fair shoulders from
h