[Mailany-development] big Catherw

[Carros D. <dem...@th...>]

Just arrived from New York, was pressing his claim for the first dance
with his cousin in opposition to numerous other claims, the chatter of
the guests died away. Virginia turned her head, and for an instant the
pearls trembled on her neck. There was a young man cordially and
unconcernedly shaking hands with her father and Captain Lige. Her memory
of that moment is, strangely, not of his face (she did not deign to look
at that), but of the muscle of his shoulder half revealed as he
stretched forth his arm. Young Mr. Colfax bent over to her ear.
"Virginia," he whispered earnestly, almost fiercely, Virginia, who
invited him here?" "I did," said Virginia, calmly, "of course. Who
invites any one here?" "But!" cried Clarence, "do you know who he is?"
"Yes," she answered, "I know. And is that any reason why he should not
come here as a guest? Would you bar any gentleman from your house on
account of his convictions?" Ah, Virginia, who had thought to hear that
argument from your lips? What would frank Captain Lige say of the
consistency of women, if he heard you now? And how give an account of
yourself to Anne Brinsmade? What contrariness has set you so intense
against your own argument? Before one can answer this, before Mr.
Clarence can recover from his astonishment and remind her of her
vehement words on the subject at Bellegarde, Mr. Stephen is making
thither with the air of one who conquers. Again the natural contrariness
of women. What bare-faced impudence! Has he no shame that he should hold
his head so high? She feels her color mounting, even as her resentment
rises at his self-possession, and yet she would have despised him had he
shown self-conscious