and he dropped in his anger one or two words of caution, which especially
offended the delicacy of Miss Brandon.

"Take care how I encourage, my lord!" said Lucy, with glowing cheeks,
repeating the words which had so affronted her, "I really must beg you--"

"You mean, dear Miss Brandon," interrupted Mauleverer, squeezing her hand
with respectful tenderness, "that you must beg me to apologize for my
inadvertent expression. I do most sincerely. If I had felt less
interest in your happiness, believe me, I should have been more guarded
in my language."

Miss Brandon bowed stiffly, and the courtier saw, with secret rage, that
the country beauty was not easily appeased, even by an apology from Lord
Mauleverer. "I have seen the time," thought he, "when young unmarried
ladies would have deemed an _affront_ from _me_ an honour! They would
have gone into hysterics at an _apology!_" Before he had time to make
his peace, the squire joined them; and Lucy, taking her father's arm,
expressed her wish to return home. The squire was delighted at the
proposition. It would have been but civil in Mauleverer to offer his
assistance in those little attentions preparatory to female departure
from balls. He hesitated for a moment. "It keeps one so long in those
cursed thorough draughts," thought he, shivering. "Besides, it is just
possible that I may not marry her, and it is no good risking a cold
(above all, at the beginning of winter) for nothing!" Fraught with this
prudential policy, Mauleverer then resigned Lucy to her father, and
murmuring in her ear that "her displeasure made him the most wretched
of men," concluded his adieu by a bow penitentially graceful.

About five minutes afterwards, he himself withdrew. As he was wrapping