Laura's face visible amongst these, gathered round Pen and asked
the cause of the disturbance.

Pen did not know. "The man was going to give his arm to a young lady,
on which I said that he was a cook, and the man called me a coward and
challenged me to fight. I own I was so surprised and indignant, that
if you gentlemen had not stopped me, I should have thrown him out of
window," Pen said.

"D---- him, serve him right, too,--the impudent foreign scoundrel," the
gentlemen said.

"I--I'm very sorry if I hurt his feelings, though," Pen added and Laura
was glad to hear him say that; although some of the young bucks said,
"No, hang the fellow,--hang those impudent foreigners--little thrashing
would do them good."

"You will go and shake hands with him before you go to sleep--won't you,
Pen?" said Laura, coming up to him. "Foreigners may be more susceptible
than we are, and have different manners. If you hurt a poor man's
feelings, I am sure you would be the first to ask his pardon. Wouldn't
you, dear Pen?"

She looked all forgiveness and gentleness, like an angel, as she spoke;
and Pen took both her hands, and looked into her kind face, and said
indeed he would.

"How fond that girl is of me!" he thought, as she stood gazing at him.
"Shall I speak to her now? No--not now. I must have this absurd business
with the Frenchman over."

Laura asked--Wouldn't he stop and dance with her? She was as anxious to
keep him in the room, as he to quit it. "Won't you stop and waltz with
me, Pen? I'm not afraid to waltz with you."

This was an affectionate, but an unlucky speech. Pen saw himself
prostrate on the ground, having tumbled over Miss Roundle and the
dragoon, and flung Blanche up against the wall--saw himself on the
ground, and all the people laughing at him, Laura and Pynsent amongst
them.

"I shall never dance again," he replied, with a dark and determined
face. "Never. I'm surprised you should ask me."

"Is it because you can't get Blanche for a partner?" asked Laura, with a
wicked, unlucky captiousness.

"Because I don't wish to make a fool of myself, for other people to
laugh at me," Pen answered--"for you to laugh at me, Laura. I saw you
and Pynsent. By Jove! no man shall laugh at me."

"Pen, Pen, don't be so wicked!" cried out the poor girl, hurt at the
morbid perverseness and savage vanity of Pen. He was glaring round in
the direction of Mr. Pynsent as if he would have liked to engage that
gentleman as he