In vain her daughter hinted at dancing, an amusement of which she was passionately fond.  The wary mother knew too well the effects of concentrated force to listen to the suggestion:  dancing might do for every manager, but she prided herself in acting en masse, like Napoleon, whose tactics consisted in overwhelming by uniting his forces on a given point.  After many experiments in her own person she endeavored to improve Catharine’s manner of sitting, and by dint of twisting and turning she contrived that her pretty foot and ankle should be thrown forward in a way that the eye dropping from the move, should unavoidably rest on this beauteous object; giving, as it were, a Scylla and Charybdis to her daughter’s charms.

John Moseley was the first person on whom she undertook to try the effect of her invention; and after comfortably seating the parties she withdrew to a little distance to watch the effect.

“Check to your king, Miss Chatterton,” cried John, early in the game—­and the young lady thrust out her foot.  “Check to your king, Mr. Moseley,” echoed the damsel, and John’s eyes wandered from hand to foot and foot to hand.  “Check king and queen, sir.”—­“Check-mate.”—­“Did you speak?” said John.  Looking up he caught the eye of the dowager fixed on him in triumph—­“Oh, ho,” said the young man, internally, “Mother Chatterton, are you playing too?” and, coolly taking up his hat, he walked off, nor could they ever get him seated at the game again.

“You beat me too easily, Miss Chatterton,” he would say when pressed to play, “before I have time to look up it’s check-mate—­excuse me.”

The dowager next settled down into a more covert attack through Grace; but here she had two to contend with:  her own forces rebelled, and the war had been protracted to the present hour with varied success, and at least without any material captures, on one side.

Colonel Egerton entered on the duties of his dangerous undertaking with the indifference of foolhardiness.  The game was played with tolerable ability by both parties; but no emotions, no absence of mind could be discovered on the part of the gentleman.  Feet and hands were in motion; still the colonel played as well as usual; he had answers for all Jane’s questions, and smiles for his partner; but no check-mate could she obtain, until wilfully throwing away an advantage he suffered the lady to win the game.  The dowager was satisfied nothing could be done with the colonel.

Chapter X.

The first carriages that rolled over the lawn to Bolton parsonage, on the succeeding day, were those of the baronet and his sister; the latter in advance.

“There, Francis,” cried Emily, who was impatiently waiting for him to remove some slight obstruction to her alighting, “thank you, thank you; that will do.”