"To me" replied Kitty, "that would certainly be a most powerful inducement; but I scarcely know whether my aunt would consider it as such. Women at her time of life, have odd ideas of propriety you know."
"Which is the very thing that you ought to break them of; and why should you object to entering a room with me where all our relations are, when you have done me the honour to admit me without any chaperone into your carriage? Do not you think your aunt will be as much offended with you for one, as for the other of these mighty crimes?"
"Why really" said Catharine, "I do not know but that she may; however, it is no reason that I should offend against decorum a second time, because I have already done it once."
"On the contrary, that is the very reason which makes it impossible for you to prevent it, since you cannot offend for the first time again."
"You are very ridiculous," said she laughing, "but I am afraid your arguments divert me too much to convince me."
"At least they will convince you that I am very agreeable, which after all, is the happiest conviction for me, and as to the affair of propriety we will let that rest till we arrive at our journey's end. This is a monthly ball I suppose. Nothing but dancing here."
"I thought I had told you that it was given by a Mr. and Mrs. Dudley."
"Oh! aye so you did; but why should not Mr. Dudley give one every month! By the bye who is that man? Everybody gives balls now I think; I believe I must give one myself soon. Well, but how do you like my father and mother? And poor little Camilla too, has not she plagued you to death with the Halifaxes" Here the carriage fortunately stopped at Mr. Dudley's, and Stanley was too much engaged in handing her out of it, to wait for an answer, or to remember that what he had said required one. They entered the small vestibule which Mr. Dudley had raised to the dignity of a hall, and Kitty immediately desired the footman who was leading the way upstairs, to inform either Mrs. Percival, or Mrs. Stanley of her arrival, and beg them to come to her, but Stanley unused to any contradiction and impatient to be amongst them, would neither allow her to wait, or listen to what she said, and forcibly seizing her arm within his, overpowered her voice with the rapidity of his own, and Kitty half angry, and half laughing was obliged to go with him up stairs, and could even with difficulty prevail on him to relinquish her hand before they entered the room.
Mrs. Percival was at that very moment engaged in conversation with a lady at the upper end of the room, to whom she had been giving a long account of her niece's unlucky disappointment, and the dreadful pain that she had with so much fortitude, endured the whole day. "I left her however," said she, "thank heaven, a little better, and I hope she has been able to amuse herself with a book, poor thing! for she must otherwise be very dull. She is probably in bed by this time, which while she is so poorly, is the best place for her you know, ma'am." The lady was going to give her assent to this opinion, when the noise of voices on the stairs, and the footman's opening the door as if for the entrance of company, attracted the attention of every body in the room; and as it was in one of those intervals between the dances when every one seemed glad to sit down, Mrs. Percival had a most unfortunate opportunity of seeing her niece whom she had supposed in bed, or amusing herself as the height of gaiety with a book, enter the room most elegantly dressed, with a smile on her countenance, and a glow of mingled cheerfulness and confusion on her cheeks, attended by a young man uncommonly handsome, and who without any of her confusion, appeared to have all her vivacity. Mrs. Percival, colouring with anger and astonishment, rose from her seat, and Kitty walked eagerly towards her, impatient to account for what she saw appeared wonderful to every body, and extremely offensive to her, while Camilla on seeing her brother ran instantly towards him, and very soon explained who he was by her words and actions. Mr. Stanley, who so fondly doted on his son, that the pleasure of seeing him again after an absence of three months prevented his feeling for the time any anger against him for returning to England without his knowledge, received him with equal surprise and delight; and soon comprehending the cause of his journey, forbore any further conversation with him, as he was eager to see his mother, and it was necessary that he should be introduced to Mr. Dudley's family. This introduction to any one but Stanley would have been highly unpleasant, for they considered their dignity injured by his coming uninvited to their house, and received him with more than their usual haughtiness. But Stanley who with a vivacity of temper seldom subdued, and a contempt of censure not to be overcome, possessed an opinion of his own consequence, and a perseverance in his own schemes which were not to be damped by the conduct of others, appeared not to perceive it. The civilities therefore which they coldly offered, he received with a gaiety and ease peculiar to himself, and then attended by his father and sister walked into another room where his mother was playing at cards, to experience another meeting, and undergo a repetition of pleasure, surprise and explanations. While these were passing, Camilla eager to communicate all she felt to some one who would attend to her, returned to Catharine, and seating herself by her, immediately began, "Well, did you ever know anything so delightful as this! But it always is so; I never go to a ball in my life but what something or other happens unexpectedly that is quite charming!"
"A ball" replied Kitty, "seems to be a most eventful thing to you."
"Oh! Lord, it is indeed. But only think of my brother's returning so suddenly. And how shocking a thing it is that has brought him over! I never heard anything so dreadful!"
"What is it pray that has occasioned his leaving France! I am sorry to find that it is a melancholy event."
"Oh! it is beyond anything you can conceive! His favourite hunter who was turned out in the park on his going abroad, somehow or other fell ill. No, I believe it was an accident, but however it was something or other, or else it was something else, and so they sent an express immediately to Lyons where my brother was, for they knew that he valued this mare more than anything else in the world besides; an So my brother set off directly for England, and without packing up another coat; I am quite angry with him about it; it was so shocking you know to come away without a change of clothes."
"Why indeed," said Kitty, "it seems to have been a very shocking affair from beginning to end."
"Oh! it is beyond anything you can conceive! I would rather have had anything happen than that he should have lost that mare."
"Except his coming away without another coat."
"Oh! yes, that has vexed me more than you can imagine. Well, and so Edward got to Brampton just as the poor thing was dead; but as he could not bear to remain there then, he came off directly to Chetwynde on purpose to see us. I hope he may not go abroad again."
"Do you think he will not?"
"Oh! dear, to be sure he must, but I wish he may not with all my heart. You cannot think how fond I am of him! By the bye are not you in love with him yourself?"
"To be sure I am," replied Kitty laughing, "I am in love with every handsome man I see."
"That is just like me. I am always in love with every handsome man in the world."
"There you outdo me," replied Catharine, "for I am only in love with those I do see." Mrs. Percival who was sitting on the other side of her, and who began now to distinguish the words, Love and handsome man, turned hastily towards them and said, "What are you talking of, Catharine!" To which Catharine immediately answered with the simple artifice of a child, "Nothing, ma'am." She had already received a very severe lecture from her aunt on the imprudence of her behaviour during the whole evening; She blamed her for coming to the ball, for coming in the same carriage with Edward Stanley, and still more for entering the room with him. For the last-mentioned offence Catharine knew not what apology to give, and tho' she longed in answer to the second to say that she had not thought it would be civil to make Mr. Stanley walk, she dared not so to trifle with her aunt, who would have been but the more offended by it. The first accusation however she considered as very unreasonable, as she thought herself perfectly justified in coming. This conversation continued till Edward Stanley entering the room came instantly towards her, and telling her that every one waited for her to begin the