"Sister," he said, for so he insisted on calling Betty, "I really
think my uncle's surmise may be right. I went home past Delavie
House last night, just to look at it, and there was--there really
was, a light in one of the windows on the first floor, which always
used to be as black as Erebus. I had much ado to keep myself from
thundering at the gate. I would have done so before now but for my
uncle's warning. Where can he be?"
The Major and Mr. Belamour here came in together, and the same torrent
was beginning to be poured forth, when the latter cut it short with,
"They are about to lay the cloth. Restrain yourself, my dear boy,
or---" and as at that moment the waiter entered, he went on with the
utmost readiness--"or, as it seems, the Queen of Hungary will never
make good her claims. Pray, sir," turning to Major Delavie, "have
you ever seen these young Archduchesses whose pretensions seem likely
to convulse the continent to its centre?"
The Major, with an effort to gather his attention, replied that he
could not remember; but Betty, with greater presence of mind, described
how she had admired the two sisters of Austria as little girls walking
on the Prater. Indeed she and Mr. Belamour contrived to keep up the
ball till the Major was roused into giving an opinion of Prussian
discipline, and to tell stories of Leopold of Dessau, Eugene, and
Marlborough with sufficient zest to drive the young baronet almost
frantic, especially as Jumbo, behind his master's chair, was on the
broad grin all the time, and almost dancing in his shoes.
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