Relieved of his fears, he troubled his head but little
about Christopher Staines. Yet he esteemed him, and had got to like
him; but Rosa was a beauty, and could do better than marry a struggling
physician, however able. He launched out into a little gayety, resumed
his quiet dinner-parties; and, after some persuasion, took his now
blooming daughter to a ball given by the officers of Chatham.
She was the belle of the ball beyond dispute, and danced with ethereal
grace and athletic endurance. She was madly fond of waltzing, and here
she encountered what she was pleased to call a divine dancer. It was
a Mr. Reginald Falcon, a gentleman who had retired to the seaside to
recruit his health and finances sore tried by London and Paris. Falcon
had run through his fortune, but had acquired, in the process, certain
talents which, as they cost the acquirer dear, so they sometimes repay
him, especially if he is not overburdened with principle, and adopts the
notion that, the world having plucked him, he has a right to pluck the
world. He could play billiards well, but never so well as when backing
himself for a heavy stake. He could shoot pigeons well, and his shooting
improved under that which makes some marksmen miss--a heavy bet against
the gun.
Pages:
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72