He had just opened his books when she entered, followed by her lover.
Panting under a heavy riding-habit, she flung herself on a sofa, and
began to vilify "the odious heat of Pozard's odious place;" then
telling Euphemia she would play truant to-day, ordered her to attend
to her lessons.
Owing to the warmth of the weather, Thaddeus came out this morning
without boots; and it being the first time the exquisite proportion
of his figure had been so fully seen by any of the present company
excepting Euphemia, Lascelles, bursting with an emotion which he
would not call envy, measured the count's graceful limb with his
scornful eyes; then declaring he was quite in a furnace, took the
corner of his glove and waving it to and fro, half-muttered, "Come
gentle air."
"The fairer Lascelles cries!" exclaimed Euphemia, looking off her
exercise.
"What! does your master teach you wit?" drawled the coxcomb, with a
particular emphasis.
Thaddeus, affecting not to hear, continued to direct his pupil.
The indefatigable Lascelles having observed the complacence with
which the count always regarded Miss Beaufort determined the goad
should fret; and drawing the knitting out of his pocket which he had
snatched the night before from Mary, he exclaimed, "'Fore heaven,
here is my little Beaufort's purse!"
Thaddeus started, and unconsciously looking up, beheld the well-known
work of Mary dangling in the hand of Lascelles.
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