Emily surveyed the gaiety of the scene with a melancholy kind
of pleasure, and her emotion may be imagined when, as she stood with her
aunt, looking at one of the groups, she perceived Valancourt; saw him
dancing with a young and beautiful lady, saw him conversing with her
with a mixture of attention and familiarity, such as she had seldom
observed in his manner. She turned hastily from the scene, and attempted
to draw away Madame Cheron, who was conversing with Signor Cavigni,
and neither perceived Valancourt, or was willing to be interrupted. A
faintness suddenly came over Emily, and, unable to support herself, she
sat down on a turf bank beneath the trees, where several other persons
were seated. One of these, observing the extreme paleness of her
countenance, enquired if she was ill, and begged she would allow him to
fetch her a glass of water, for which politeness she thanked him, but
did not accept it.
Her apprehension lest Valancourt should observe her
emotion made her anxious to overcome it, and she succeeded so far as
to re-compose her countenance. Madame Cheron was still conversing with
Cavigni; and the Count Bauvillers, who had addressed Emily, made some
observations upon the scene, to which she answered almost unconsciously,
for her mind was still occupied with the idea of Valancourt, to whom
it was with extreme uneasiness that she remained so near. Some remarks,
however, which the Count made upon the dance obliged her to turn her
eyes towards it, and, at that moment, Valancourt's met hers. Her colour
faded again, she felt, that she was relapsing into faintness, and
instantly averted her looks, but not before she had observed the altered
countenance of Valancourt, on perceiving her. She would have left the
spot immediately, had she not been conscious, that this conduct would
have shewn him more obviously the interest he held in her heart; and,
having tried to attend to the Count's conversation, and to join in
it, she, at length, recovered her spirits. But, when he made some
observation on Valancourt's partner, the fear of shewing that she was
interested in the remark, would have betrayed it to him, had not
the Count, while he spoke, looked towards the person of whom he was
speaking.
'The lady,' said he, 'dancing with that young Chevalier, who
appears to be accomplished in every thing, but in dancing, is ranked
among the beauties of Tholouse. She is handsome, and her fortune will be
very large. I hope she will make a better choice in a partner for life
than she has done in a partner for the dance, for I observe he has just
put the set into great confusion; he does nothing but commit blunders. I
am surprised, that, with his air and figure, he has not taken more care
to accomplish himself in dancing.'