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Lady Bridlington had taken care to impress this important convention upon Arabella’s mind, so she refused all solicitations to take the floor when the fiddles struck up for the waltz. Papa would certainly not approve of the dance, she knew: she had never dared to tell him that she and Sophia had learnt the steps from their friends the Misses Caterham,
Suddenly he cast one of his quizzical looks at Princess Esterhazy, and said: ‘Shall I ask that chit to dance?’ She raised her delicate black brows, a faint smile flickering on her lips. ‘Here, my friend, you are not supreme! I think you dare not.’ ‘I know I dare not,’ said Mr Beaumaris, disarming her promptly. ‘That is why I ask you, Princess, to present me to the lady as a desirable partner.’
He asked her to stand up with him for one of the country-dances, but when the moment for taking their places in the set came, led her to a sofa, saying: ‘Shall you object to sitting down with me instead? One can never converse in comfort while dancing, and I must consult you about our urchin.’
Assemblies, indeed! It’s no pleasure to me to watch a parcel of country-dowds dancing this shameless waltz of yours! Dancing! I could give you another name for it!’
Moreover, for one who is for ever railing against the squeamishness of the modern miss, your attitude towards the waltz seems a trifle inconsistent.’
don’t know anything about consistency,’ retorted her grace, with perfect truth, ‘but I do know indecency when I see it!’
Emboldened by the intensive coaching of a noted French dancing-master, whom he had found the time to visit, he claimed his sister’s hand for the first waltz, and, being a graceful youth, taught by the athletic sports at Harrow to move with precision and a complete control over his limbs, acquitted himself so well that Arabella was moved to exclaim: ‘Oh, Bertram, how elegantly you dance! Do, pray, let us make up a set for the quadrille, and dance together in it!’ This, however, he did not feel himself capable of doing. It was true that he had acquired the rudiments of the more simple steps, but
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Mr Beaumaris did not arrive until after midnight, and consequently failed to secure a waltz with Arabella.
