nd engaged
her again and again in conversation. Little Becky's soul swelled with
pride and delight at these honours; she saw fortune, fame, fashion
before her. Lord Steyne was her slave, followed her everywhere, and
scarcely spoke to any one in the room beside, and paid her the most
marked compliments and attention. She still appeared in her Marquise
costume and danced a minuet with Monsieur de Truffigny, Monsieur Le Duc
de la Jabotiere's attache; and the Duke, who had all the traditions of
the ancient court, pronounced that Madame Crawley was worthy to have
been a pupil of Vestris, or to have figured at Versailles. Only a
feeling of dignity, the gout, and the strongest sense of duty and
personal sacrifice prevented his Excellency from dancing with her
himself, and he declared in public that a lady who could talk and dance
like Mrs. Rawdon was fit to be ambassadress at any court in Europe. He
was only consoled when he heard that she was half a Frenchwoman by
birth. "None but a compatriot," his Excellency declared, "could have
performed that majestic dance in such a way."

Then she figured in a waltz with Monsieur de Klingenspohr, the Prince
of Peterwaradin's cousin and attache. The delighted Prince, having
less retenue than his French diplomatic colleague, insisted upon taking
a turn with the charming creature, and twirled round the ball-room with
her, scattering the diamonds out of his boot-tassels and hussar jacket
until his Highness was fairly out of breath. Papoosh Pasha himself
would have liked to dance with her if that amusement had been the
custom of his country. The company made a circle round her and
applauded as wildly as if she had been a Noblet or a Taglioni.
Everybody was in ecstacy; and Becky too, you may be sure. She passed
by Lady Stunnington with a look of scorn. She patronized Lady Gaunt
and her astonished and mortified sister-in-law--she ecrased all rival
charmers. As for poor Mrs. Winkworth, and her long hair and great
eyes, which had made such an effect at the commencement of the
evening--where was she now? Nowhere in the race. She might tear her
long hair and cry her great eyes out, but there was not a person to
heed or to deplore the discomfiture.

The greatest triumph of all was at supper time. She was placed at the
grand exclusive table with his Royal Highness the exalted personage
before mentioned, and the rest of the great guests. She was served on
gold plate. She might have ha