Master
Simon, who seemed to be a kind of connecting link between the old
times and the new, and to be withal a little antiquated in the
taste of his accomplishments, evidently piqued himself on his
dancing, and was endeavoring to gain credit by the heel and toe,
rigadoon, and other graces of the ancient school; but he had
unluckily assorted himself with a little romping girl from
boarding-school, who by her wild vivacity kept him continually on
the stretch and defeated all his sober attempts at elegance: such
are the ill-sorted matches to which antique gentlemen are
unfortunately prone.
The young Oxonian, on the contrary, had led out one of his maiden
aunts, on whom the rogue played a thousand little knaveries with
impunity: he was full of practical jokes, and his delight was to
tease his aunts and cousins, yet, like all madcap youngsters, he
was a universal favorite among the women. The most interesting
couple in the dance was the young officer and a ward of the
squire's, a beautiful blushing girl of seventeen. From several
shy glances which I had noticed in the course of the evening I
suspected there was a little kindness growing up between them;
and indeed the young soldier was just the hero to captivate a
romantic girl.
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