But Osmond had given her a sort of tableau of her
position as his daughter's duenna, which consisted of gracious
alternations of concession and contraction; and there were
directions of his which she liked to think she obeyed to the letter.
Perhaps, as regards some of them, it was because her doing so appeared
to reduce them to the absurd.
After Pansy had been led away, she found Lord Warburton drawing near
her again. She rested her eyes on him steadily; she wished she could
sound his thoughts. But he had no appearance of confusion. "She has
promised to dance with me later," he said.
"I'm glad of that. I suppose you've engaged her for the cotillion."
At this he looked a little awkward. "No, I didn't ask her for
that. It's a quadrille."
"Ah, you're not clever!" said Isabel almost angrily. "I told her
to keep the cotillion in case you should ask for it."
"Poor little maid, fancy that!" And Lord Warburton laughed frankly.
"Of course I will if you like."
"If I like? Oh, if you dance with her only because I like it-!
"I'm afraid I bore her. She seems to have a lot of young fellows
on her book."
Isabel dropped her eyes, reflecting rapidly; Lord Warburton stood
there looking at her and she felt his eyes on her face.
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