Agnes Castleand Egerton Castle

“ I do prefer to walk."
If she had a lingering doubt of him, it then vanished. She stepped into his coach, the Quaker girl, as the Queen into her state-carriage. And it pleased him to bend before her as before majesty itself. But he paused at the coach window, looking in upon her lingeringly, and could not bring himself to give the signal for driving on. The light from the footman's link and the lamps of the portal fell full upon her face. He thought his eyes had never beheld anything so fair.
"How come you," he said after a while, "how come you, Rachel Peace, on the boards of a playhouse?" ”

“ A quarrel with Lord Mandeville! His fool of a recruit could come but poorly out of any such pass, and the gallant Captain's deeply interested exchequer could allow of no such risk.
"Blad?" he echoed shrilly. "No, sir, no blad here, but marrowbones!" He caught the youth sharply by the shoulder. "Are you mad?" he hissed in his ear. "Don't you know who 'tis you're talking to? 'Tis the famous Lord Mandeville, you booby! You must apalagise." ”

“ Her answer in that same Quaker phraseology with which she had been thus insolently baited, her delicate, serious air, held strange rebuke for one who could feel it. Mr. Stafford lifted the single eyeglass that hung from a ribbon round his neck, to look at her with ever-deepening interest. Lord Mandeville came a pace nearer. The young gentleman from Norwich thought the little silence that had fallen on the room could betoken nothing but a flattering attention centred on his next move. ”

“ But Miss de Vyne (the dear rival) could not be aware of this; and the glance of furious envy that she darted at her friend as she now flounced out of the room filled that young lady with ecstasy. She had, moreover, succeeded beyond her intention. For, just before Miss de Vyne's exit, Mr. Montagu Mortemar had made his entrance, and, for the first time in his life, he seemed to become really aware of Peggy Pommeroy's existence.
Now, of all men on earth, the First Comedy Lady most admired the Tragic Leading Gentleman. ”

“ Of all passions, vanity is perhaps that which, gratified, affords the most complete and lasting satisfaction. Peg's bosom swelled with triumph as she noted the impression produced upon her colleagues—how the Noble Father frowned and strutted with fresh zest as he passed; how her dear rival, feigning to examine the position of a patch, sought to catch his lordship's eye in the mirror, and failed.
"La! your lordship!" cried Peggy, very loud and shrill, "I vow I must not listen when you say such things!" ”

“ Stafford; "the bet, as I take it, is won by him whom the lady herself shall choose for favour."
"Why, certainly," said Spicer, with one severe orb on his pupil. "I trust we're all gentlemen here. Shall each stake ten guineas?"
"I'll have no tricks played with my young ladies," said "Zenobia."
"Tricks!" exclaimed Stafford. "My dearest madam, it shall be a fair field and no favour—the gentle Beauty shall choose as freely as young Paris himself ... amongst us divinities, ha!" His ironical eye swept from the insignificance of Sir Thomas to Lord Mandeville's pallid, indolent mask ”

“ Macnamara in dudgeon. Then: "And you, girls," she cried with asperity, "shame on you to be loitering like this! Some of you will be called in a minute. Miss Pommeroy, you're for the curtain, if you please."
Captain Spicer and his recruit from Norwich were wrangling in a corner. And presently the young gentleman was observed to shed tears: Spicer had actually threatened to abandon him!
"What would become of you if I did not keep my eyes on you?" rated the Captain.
"Captain Spicer's eyes are more useful than most people's," said Stafford soothingly; "he can see both sides of things at once. ”

“ A very wind-flower she looked, white and fragile, and yet with a certain woodland strength of her own, amid these high-coloured stage roses. She seemed very tall, in the long lines of her plain stuff dress ”

“ Mortemar," said Stafford, "and Captain Spicer's new friend can practise. But recommend him to shut his mouth."
Then he turned airily to Mrs. Macnamara.
"My dear madam," said he, "I vow I have been thrilled! Zenobia ... Zenobia is a magnificent performance. Zenobia, with her bevy of maidens——" He swept a smiling glance along the self-conscious row: black eyes, grey eyes, sly eyes, innocent eyes, gave him back his handsome look with interest. And yet his gaze wandered like that of one seeking. "’Twas a sight to make an old man young, and——"
"And a young gentleman——?" put in Mrs. ”