208
WYLDER'S H.4JVD
Mrs. Crutchleigh stayed her step upon the stairs ab-
ruptly, and turned, with a look of fierce surprise upon
her lean, white-headed lord, arresting thereby the upward
march of Corfe Crutchleigh, Esq. the hope of his house,
who was pulling on his gloves, with-his eldest spinster
sister on his lank arm.
"There appears to be a concert going on; we came
here to a ball. Had you not better enquire, Mr. Crutch-
leigh; it would seem we have made a mistake?"
Mrs. Crutchleigh was sensitive about the dignity of
the family of Clay Manor; and her cheeks flushed above
the rouge, and her eyes flashed severely.
"That's singing — particularly loud singing: Either
we have mistaken the night, or somebody has taken upon
him to upset all the arrangements. You will be good
enough to enquire whether there will be dancing to-
night; I and Anastasia will remain in the cloak-room;
and we'll all leave if you please, Mr. Crutchleigh, if this
goes on." v
The fact is, Mrs. Crutchleigh had got an inkling of
this performance, and had affected to believe it impossible;
and, detesting old Lady Chelford for sundry slights and
small impertinences, was resolved not to be put down by
presumption in that quarter.
Old Lady Chelford sat in an arm-chair in the supper-
room, where a considerable audience was collected. She
had a splendid shawl or two about her, and a certain air
of demi-toilette, which gave the Gylingden people to un-
derstand that her ladyship did not look on this gala in the
light of a real ball, but only as a sort of rustic imitation
— curious, possibly amusing, and, like other rural sports,
deserving of encouragement, for the sake of the people
who made innocent holiday there.
Mr. Page, the performer, was a plump young man,