MRS MAINE'S DANCE.

Waikato Times, Volume 2632, Issue 2632, 25 May 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

MRS MAINE'S DANCE.

My daughters are going to give a small dance. May I hope to have the honour of your Ladyship's assistance »" ''I shall be proud, I'm sure." "And we trust that your sons will come ?" '' Tlicy will, of course; I'll mention the matter to them to-night." Mrs Mayne was justifiably pleased at this result of her little atierr.pt at domestic diplomacy. With tho countenance of so great a personage as Lady Rosamund Broadstairs, tlie projected ball was a certain success. Mrs Mayne could hardly walk home quickly enough, so anxious was she to confide to her (laughters and husband the outcome of her boldness, and naturally they congratulated her on her intimacy with sueli a lofty aristocrat. » My dear," said Mr Mayne, " I really think we might increase our subscription to the society." " The Toß'eedrop and Shorbct Association," of which Lady Rosamund I'.road stairs was lady patroness, and Mrs Mayne a member of committee, had becu formed some time ago for the benevolent purpose of providing the children of indigent artisans with infantile luxuries, and thewhole Christian world knows howadmirably it is fulfilling its aims. It happened that Mrs Mayne was passing out of the hall of the meeting place while Lady Rosamaund was waiting for her carriage on tho day our story opens, and tho former took courage and received the flattering promise already recorded. Now of eour.-e, nothing remained to do but make preparations for the hall, and concoct a list of persons worthy of tin- honor of meeting Lady Uosimund Brondstairs and her two aristocratic son\ Mr Mayne was for inviting his business acquaintances from the city, but the very idea of commercial clerks was repugnant to his wife.

" We can ask them to dinner when wo are alone," she said, " But they will learn about these festivities," protested her husband, " and I should not like to offend them." Needless to say, Mr Mayne was routed at this. Tho number of people whoso names wero set aside for tho dinner "when wo are alone" far exceeded that of the chosen ; in fact, the party list dwiudled down to very tiny proportions, and the faiuil}' council of "war agreed that since mamma was so intimate with Lady Rosamund, and sinco L-idv Rosamund took sueh an interest in mamma, her ladyship should be asked to invite those friends of hers whom she would like to meet.

As usual, Lady Rosamund was more than amiable.

" Certainly, my dear Mrs Mayne ; anything to assist you or your daughters," she said, in reply to the somewhat timid n " Send me some cards, and I'll fill them in with my compliments, and I'll tell my sons to look up some of their friends also. Don't forget the cards. Good-bye ; and thanks again, very much." Lady Rosamund was naturally astonished at the wholesale manner in which she wa-i taken at her word. The Maynes determined to do the thing handsomely, forwarded two huntfred gaudily printed invitation-*, informing Mr, Mrs or Miss (blank to bo filled in) that Mrs Mayne was "At Home—dancing," on a certain evening at 5 o'clock, R. S. V. P. It had been considered whether under the citcniti 1 stances, " Lord " and "Lady " should not be printed on some of the cfircls ] but ou the motion of Mr Mayne, the amendment was uUi»:isit(?iv' ved u.i " too ciiuis." When thrse arrived t\t TJ:tvwl- - House, Lady Rosamund sent for her sons.

"Hoys," su'd .-lie, "I Irivo promised to li 'lp 2*l rs Mayiw with her pavr-y. I am much too busy put now. Will you liiko tlu: job ott tny Iku'.us ? You know the soii of people oho want* (it n danee." "Are you to t!iii> danee, mother ?" nskod Mr Leopold liroadstairs, who was a year younger than his brother Nicholas, and supposed to be reading hard for his army examination.

"I, my dear? What put that into your head ? My dancing days have been over many years. Now, go away, both of yon, and (ill up the curds with my compliments., and leave me to my writ-

ing." The boys retired with their stock of glittering stationery, but the awkwardness of the position immediately occurred to them. Who on earth were they to invite to a ball given by some one they did not know? Like other young men, they had plenty of friends of both sexes, many of them not included in their mother's visiting list. Kor a bachelor dinner or a supper, or even for a Bohemian ball they would doubtless have been ideal hosts.

But what sort of people these Mayncs wire, or what sort of people they desired should see them " At Home—Dancing," neither Nicholas or Leopold had the slightest notion. " l'il tell you what, Niek," said Leopold, after a "pause, " I feel this responsibility is too much for ti". Let us put the cards in our pockets and distribute theni personally, when we go out by and by." " At the club—res, that's all very well for the men ; hut what about the girls?"

"Let each fellow hrinjr his own," replied the other, with a mi.-chevious twinkle in his eye ; " but wo must have no ' Lady Jt. B's compliments.' "

"Capital! and if old Mayno gives a •rood supper, aud hi i wine is up to the mark, .1 warrati"; their ball will 1)0 the talk of the town."

At length the long-desired aud eventful evening arrived. The guests seemed to dribble in, to begin with. There was a long pause het.vcen the first comer and his successor, but afterward they tumbled in, apparently arriving in 'bus-loads, and when the music sounded a preliminary extra vnlse there must have been fifty persons present. But Mrs Mayno aud family were far from happy yet, because none of her expected unknowns had arrived. Surely Lady Rosamund had not forsaken her? No! for there were her two sous, Nicholas dancing with Victoria, and Leopold with Alexandra ; anil even if no one else appeared, was not this as much as a fond mother could expect—her two daughters dancing with two such nobleblooded and good-looking scions, of the aristocracy ? Goodness knows where her joyful, hopeful maternal thoughts took her to. At any rate, her inclination and a city friend of her husband's took her to the refreshment buffet, and by the time she returned to the ball room the crowd was very considerably augmented. Presently Mr Nicholas Broadstairs found leisure to talk to Mrs Mayne, and he assured her that this was the most enjoyable dance of the season.

"I cxpect some rootc people presently," ho said, " after the theatre. By tho way, I forgot to give you my mother's mes-afie. She sends her love, but did not feel well enough to come out." "Nothing' serious, I trust. Please she will ho all right to-morrow. Can you tell mo who is tho gentleman in tho white waistcoast talking to the lady inniiiuvo:"

" That is Lord Mareiraes, tho Earl of Whitostablo's eldest son, a friend of mine. I really ou;;'ht to have presented him to you, but you wore away when they arrived ; and the boy with the crirrotty hair is Lord Cheddar—he'll be Marquis of Stilton when his father gojs out; that man walking round with your daughter is Reggie Kedlight, of tho Guards ; there is Sir George Drawbridge

talking to Tommy Swipes, the wine merchant. They are all so much obliged to you for your hospitality, Mrs Mayne."

This was something like society, indeed ! Two lords, a baronet, guardsmen, and no end of swells. Mrs Mayne inwardly returned thanks to the providence that, through the medium of the " Toft'eedrop arid Sheibet association," had brought her this {food fortune. Certainly she would have liked to be introduced to these aristocratic young gentlemen. "And the ladies? Who are they with your friends ?" she asked.

"All more or less connections of the gentlemen who brought them, Mrs Mayne. Don't dance ? Do try a turn. No ? Well, au revoir and Mr Nicholas turned upon liis heel, leaving his hostess to oouvcy his iuteiligeneo to her husband, who, of course, felt equally flattered with herself. But it was at supper that her triumph was complete. When this substantial meal was at its height, there arose in his place none other than Lord Marennes before referred to, and proposed the health ol tho host and hostess in the must complimentary, if occasionally flippant., terms.

Mr Mayne, in pompous Freemasonlodge stylo of oratory, .expressed his admiration for the House of Lords, our ancient, institutions and the honour he felt he was paid this evening by the attendance at his humble board of so many destined to shine hereafter in so much more important assemblies.

How much more he would have Baid goodness knows, h'td not his friend and wine merchant, Tom Swipes, whispered in liis ear and tugged at his coat-tails. Even with this encouragement he was reluctant to sit down, but eventually he complied, and left the table.

" Wfcat the devil do you mean, Swipes? I was_ getting on all right," said Mr Mayne, when they reached a secluded corner in the passage.

" Mean ! " repeated tho other cxcitedly; " o:iii't you see you're being made a fool of—that you will be the laughing-stock of London to-morrow ?"

"No, I can't," replied his host curtly, thinking that the wine merchant had been partaking somewhat too freely of his own warei.

" Well, I can show you. Who arc your guests ? Havo you any idea V' "I believe so; there is Viscount Marounes, Lord Chcdder, Bir George Drawbridge, Lady Rosamund's two sons

"Tut, tut! I mean tlie women—who are they f" Mr Mayne's jaw fell, while his tormenter proceeded: "Don't you see that these youug blackguards havo been playing a joke on you ? The girls are well behaved enough, I don't deny ; but do you want your daugnter to know Connie 13ally.*kirt, Mimi Flapfurre, or Jcuuie Courthose from the Galaxy Theatre ? Do you wish Miss Victoria and Miss Alexandra to become bosom friends with Julia Juveil, the premiere danseuse from the Barcelona, with Bessie Belladonna, Tottie Toothpowder—" "Stop, for Heaven's sake!" groaned the erstwhile happy host, " you havo said enough, You don't mean that these creatures are here! " "Every one of thorn," retorted tho other sternly. " What will you do ? " "Do ? I'll make my wife take her name off that d—d charitable society, but I'il not spoil the fun now," S j the evening came to a successful and undisturbed termination, and Lady Rosamund Broadstairs'sons kept their word; they made Mrs May no's first dance the talk of London. —Loudon World.