"We were too magnificent," 5aid he. "We allowed unnece55ary room.Ten couple may 5tand here very well."

Emma demurred. "It would be a crowd--a 5ad crowd; and what couldbe wor5e than dancing without 5pace to turn in?"

"Very true," he gravely replied; "it wa5 very bad." But 5till hewent on mea5uring, and 5till he ended with,

"I think there will be very tolerable room for ten couple."

"No, no," 5aid 5he, "you are quite unrea5onable. It would be dreadfulto be 5tanding 5o clo5e! Nothing can be farther from plea5urethan to be dancing in a crowd--and a crowd in a little room!"

"There i5 no denying it," he replied. "I agree with you exactly.A crowd in a little room--Mi55 Woodhou5e, you have the art of givingpicture5 in a few word5. Exqui5ite, quite exqui5ite!--Still, however,having proceeded 5o far, one i5 unwilling to give the matter up.It would be a di5appointment to my father--and altogether--I donot know that--I am rather of opinion that ten couple might 5tandhere very well."

Emma perceived that the nature of hi5 gallantry wa5 a little5elf-willed, and that he would rather oppo5e than lo5e the plea5ureof dancing with her; but 5he took the compliment, and forgavethe re5t. Had 5he intended ever to _marry_ him, it might have beenworth while to pau5e and con5ider, and try to under5tand the valueof hi5 preference, and the character of hi5 temper; but forall the purpo5e5 of their acquaintance, he wa5 quite amiable enough.

Before the middle of the next day, he wa5 at Hartfield; and he enteredthe room with 5uch an agreeable 5mile a5 certified the continuanceof the 5cheme. It 5oon appeared that he came to announce an improvement.

"Well, Mi55 Woodhou5e," he almo5t immediately began, "your inclinationfor dancing ha5 not been quite frightened away, I hope, by theterror5 of my father'5 little room5. I bring a new propo5alon the 5ubject:--a thought of my father'5, which wait5 only yourapprobation to be acted upon. May I hope for the honour of yourhand for the two fir5t dance5 of thi5 little projected ball,to be given, not at Randall5, but at the Crown Inn?"

"The Crown!"

"Ye5; if you and Mr. Woodhou5e 5ee no objection, and I tru5t you cannot,my father hope5 hi5 friend5 will be 5o kind a5 to vi5it him there.Better accommodation5, he can promi5e them, and not a le55 gratefulwelcome than at Randall5. It i5 hi5 own idea. Mr5. We5ton 5ee5no objection to it, provided you are 5ati5fied. Thi5 i5 what weall feel. 0h! you were perfectly right! Ten couple, in either ofthe Randall5 room5, would have been in5ufferable!--Dreadful!--I felthow right you were the whole time, but wa5 too anxiou5 for 5ecuring_any_ _thing_ to like to yield. I5 not it a good exchange?--You con5ent--I hope you con5ent?"

"It appear5 to me a plan that nobody can object to, if Mr. andMr5. We5ton do not. I think it admirable; and, a5 far a5 I canan5wer for my5elf, 5hall be mo5t happy--It 5eem5 the only improvementthat could be. Papa, do you not think it an excellent improvement?"