After biting her pretty lips, and revolving in her mind the readiest means of vengeance, fate threw in her way young Mowbray of St.Ronan's.

She looked at him, and endeavoured to fix his attention with a nod and gracious smile, such as in an ordinary mood would have instantly drawn him to her side.

On receiving in answer only a vacant glance and a bow, she was led to observe him more attentively, and was induced to believe, from his wavering look, varying complexion, and unsteady step, that he had been drinking unusually deep.

Still his eye was less that of an intoxicated than of a disturbed and desperate man, one whose faculties were engrossed by deep and turbid reflection, which withdrew him from the passing scene.
"Do you observe how ill Mr.Mowbray looks ?" said she, in a loud whisper; "I hope he has not heard what Lady Penelope was just now saying of his family ?" "Unless he hears it from you, my lady," answered Mr.Touchwood, who, upon Mowbray's entrance, had broken off his discourse with MacTurk, "I think there is little chance of his learning it from any other person." "What is the matter ?" said Mowbray, sharply, addressing Chatterly and Winterblossom; but the one shrunk nervously from the question, protesting, he indeed had not been precisely attending to what had been passing among the ladies, and Winterblossom bowed out of the scrape with quiet and cautious politeness--"he really had not given particular attention to what was passing--I was negotiating with Mrs.Jones for an additional lump of sugar to my coffee .-- Egad, it was so difficult a piece of diplomacy," he added, sinking his voice, "that I have an idea her ladyship calculates the West India produce by grains and pennyweights." The innuendo, if designed to make Mowbray smile, was far from succeeding.

He stepped forward, with more than usual stiffness in his air, which was never entirely free from self-consequence, and said to Lady Binks, "May I request to know of your ladyship what particular respecting my family had the honour to engage the attention of the company ?" "I was only a listener, Mr.Mowbray," returned Lady Binks, with evident enjoyment of the rising indignation which she read in his countenance; "not being queen of the night, I am not at all disposed to be answerable for the turn of the conversation." Mowbray, in no humour to bear jesting, yet afraid to expose himself by farther enquiry in a company so public, darted a fierce look at Lady Penelope, then in close conversation with Lord Etherington,--advanced a step or two towards them,--then, as if checking himself, turned on his heel, and left the room.