He remembered suddenly that I was
to attend the Assembly Ball on Thursday, and had only attended to-
night by way of a preparative. This put it into his head to
present me to another young lady; but I managed this interview with
so much art that, while I was scrupulously polite and even cordial
to the fair one, I contrived to keep Robbie beside me all the time
and to leave along with him when the ordeal was over. We were just
walking away arm in arm, when I spied my friend the Major
approaching, stiff as a ramrod and, as usual, obtrusively clean.
'Oh! there's a man I want to know,' said I, taking the bull by the
horns. 'Won't you introduce me to Major Chevenix?'
'At a word, my dear fellow,' said Robbie; and 'Major!' he cried,
'come here and let me present to you my friend Mr. Ducie, who
desires the honour of your acquaintance.'
The Major flushed visibly, but otherwise preserved his composure.
He bowed very low. 'I'm not very sure,' he said: 'I have an idea
we have met before?'
'Informally,' I said, returning his bow; 'and I have long looked
forward to the pleasure of regularising our acquaintance.'
'You are very good, Mr. Ducie,' he returned. 'Perhaps you could
aid my memory a little? Where was it that I had the pleasure?'
'Oh, that would be telling tales out of school,' said I, with a
laugh, 'and before my lawyer, too!'
'I'll wager,' broke in Mr.
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