feelings, from those with which she would have regarded the real Earl of Leicester, could she have had one peep at the actual pageant of Kenilworth, with its outward pomp, masking the breaking hearts beneath. Thereupon she fell deep into musings on 'Kenilworth,' which she had read at home, when, so young and unlearned in novels as not to have a guess at what would happen, when it was all a wonder and fairy-land of delight, and when poor Tressilian's name of Edmund had been his first charm in her eyes, even before she loved him for his deep character and melancholy fate. She thought how unlike all this common-place world was to the world it aped--how far these Raleighs and Sidneys were from being worthy to usurp the name even for one evening! and as to Tressilian, how impossible to see any face here that would even shadow her idea of him! And yet she did not know; she might have to change her mind. There actually was a countenance handsome, thoughtful, almost melancholy enough for Tressilian himself, with the deep dark eyes, pale, clear, sun-burnt, brown complexion, and jetty hair that befitted her hero; a short beard and dark dress would have completed him, but she almost thought it a pity that such a face should appear above a scarlet coat and gold epaulettes.
However, Tressilian had been moving towards the end of the room where she was standing, and was coming so near that she could not study him after the first; so she turned to speak to Miss Faulkner, who had finished her quadrille, and just as a polka was commencing, she was surprised by finding Tressilian himself standing by her, and asking to have the honour of dancing with her.
'Thank you, I don't dance the Polka,' she replied; and as she spoke quick flashes of thought crossed her thus--'I have not been introduced to him--I have met him before--how horrid of Tressilian's face to talk of polkas--ha! it is Edmund!'
Edmund Arundel's eye it was that was glancing at her with a look of great amusement at her bewilderment.
'The next quadrille,' he proceeded, in the same ceremonious voice.
'O Edmund, Edmund, I did not know you in the least! Who would have thought of seeing you here?'
'Why not? Did you not know we were asked?'
'Asked? yes; but who would have come who could have helped it?'
'I wanted particularly to see you.' Then, after speaking to Mrs. Lyddell, he turned to her again, and resumed, 'But am I not to have the pleasure of dancing the next quadrille with you?'
'If it is any pleasure to you, I am sure you are very welcome.'
'In the mean time, what is the meaning of your not being amongst the performers? You used to be a capital shot.'
'I? O, of course I could not shoot before all the world.'
'Well, I was in hopes my pupil had been doing me credit; so much so, that I tried very hard to make that lady with the silver arrow into you, and--' as Marian looked at Miss Grimley's thin, freckled face, and reddish, sandy locks, and could not help smiling, he continued, 'when that would not quite do, I went on trying to turn each maid of honour into you, till, just as I gave you up, I saw young Dashwood fixed in contemplation; and well he might be, for there was something so majestic as could be nothing but Zenobia, Queen of the East, or Miss Arundel herself.'
'Majestic! nonsense! nothing can feel less majestic.'
'Then decidedly you are not what you seem.'
'I was trying all the time to make you into Tressilian, only your red coat was in the way. You know I never saw you in it before.'
'And so you have given up archery?'
'O, no! I shoot at home; only I cannot make a spectacle of myself,--I hate the whole thing so much.'
'And you would not wear a fancy dress?'
'You see I am in mourning.'
