This matter was settled, and they went to Dinner.—'YourFather, Miss Emma, is one of my oldest friends'—said Mr.Edwardes, as he helped her to wine, when they were drawn round the fire to enjoy their Desert,—'We must drink to his better health.—It is a great concern to me I assure you that he should be such an Invalid.—I know nobody who likes a game of cards in a social way, better than he does; and very few people that play a fairer rubber.—It is a thousand pities that he should be so deprived of the pleasure.For now we have a quiet little Whist club that meets three times a week at the White Hart, and if he could but have his health, how much he would enjoy it.''I dare say he would Sir—and I wish with all my heart he were equal to it.''Your Club would be better fitted for an Invalid,'said Mrs.E.'if you did not keep it up so late.'—This was an old grievance.—'So late, mydear, what are you talking of;'cried the Husband with sturdy pleasantry.'We are always at home before Midnight.They would laugh at Osborne Castle to hear you call that late; they are but just rising from dinner at midnight.'—'That is nothing to the purpose.'—retorted the Lady calmly.'The Osbornes are to be no rule for us.You had better meet every night, and break up two hours sooner.'So far, the subject was very often carried;—but Mr.and Mrs.Edwardes were so wise as never to pass that point; and Mr.Edwardes now turned to something else.—He had lived long enough in the Idleness of a Town to become a little of a Gossip, and having some curiosity to know more of the Circumstances of his young Guest than had yet reached him, he began with, 'I think Miss Emma, I remember your Aunt very well about thirty years ago; I am pretty sure I danced with her in the old rooms at Bath, the year before I married.She was a very fine woman then—but like other people I suppose she is grown somewhat older since that time.—I hope she is likely to be happy in her second choice.'
'I hope so, I believe so, Sir'—said Emma in some agitation.—'Mr.Turner had not been dead a great while I think?' 'About two years Sir.''I forget what her name is now?'—'O'brien.''Irish! Ah! I remember—and she is gone to settle in Ireland.—I do not wonder that you should not wish to go with her into that Country Miss Emma—but it must be a great deprivation to her, poor Lady!— After bringing you up like a Child of her own.'—'I was not so ungrateful Sir,'said Emma warmly, 'as to wish to be any where but with her.—It did not suit them, it did not suit Captain O'brien that I should be of the party.''Captain!'—repeated Mrs.E.'the Gentleman is in the army then?''Yes Ma'am.'—'Aye—there is nothing like your officers for captivating the Ladies, Young orOld.—There is no resisting a Cockade my dear.'—'I hope there is.'—said Mrs.E.gravely, with a quick glance at her daughter;— and Emma had just recovered from her own perturbation in time to see a blush on Miss E.'s cheek, and in remembering what Elizabeth had said of Captain Hunter, to wonder and waver between his influence and her brother's.
'Elderly Ladies should be careful how they make a secondchoice,'observed Mr.Edwardes.—'Carefulness—Discretion— should not be confined to Elderly Ladies, or to a second choice'added his wife.'It is quite as necessary to young Ladies in their first.'—'Rather more so, my dear'—replied he, 'because young Ladies are likely to feel the effects of it longer.When an old Lady plays the fool, it is not in the course of nature that she should suffer from it many years.'Emma drew her hand across her eyes— and Mrs.Edwardes on perceiving it, changed the subject to one of less anxiety to all.
With nothing to do but to expect the hour of setting off, the afternoon was long to the two young Ladies; and tho'Miss Edwardes was rather discomposed at the very early hour which her mother always fixed for going, that early hour itself was watched for with some eagerness.—The entrance of the Tea things at seven o'clock was some relief—and luckily Mr.and Mrs.Edwardes always drank a dish extraordinary, and ate an additional muffin when they were going to sit up late, which lengthened the ceremony almost to the wished for moment.At a little before eight, the Tomlinsons carriage was heard to go by, which was the constant signal for Mrs.Edwardes to order hers to the door; and in a very few minutes, the party were transported from the quiet warmth of a snug parlour, to the bustle, noise anddraughts of air of the broad Entrance-passage of an Inn.—Mrs.Edwardes carefully guarding her own dress, while she attended with yet greater Solicitude to the proper security of her young Charges'Shoulders and Throats, led the way up the wide staircase, while no sound of a Ball but the first Scrape of one violin, blessed the ears of her followers, and Miss Edwardes on hazarding the anxious enquiry of whether there were many people come yet was told by the Waiter as she knew she should, that 'Mr.Tomlinson's family were in the room.'In passing along a short gallery to the Assembly-room, brilliant in lights before them, they were accosted by a young Man in a morning dress and Boots, who was standing in the doorway of a Bedchamber, apparently on purpose to see them go by.—'Ah! Mrs.E.—how do you do?—How do you do Miss E.?—he cried, with an easy air;—'You are determined to be in good time I see, as usual.—The Candles are but this moment lit.'—'I like to get a good seat by the fire you know, Mr.Musgrave,'replied Mrs.E.'I am this moment going to dress,'said he—'I am waiting for my stupid fellow.—We shall have a famous Ball, The Osbornes are certainly coming; you may depend upon that for I was with Lord Osborne this morning—'