What a

How nicely everything has gone off! gratifying evening this must be to you and your dear sisters! How pleasantly the girls have gone through their various little performancesso modestly, unaffectedly, and with such quiet self-possession! That excellent Mr. Barnet appears fully to appreciate the advantages his daughter has received here. He says she has sprung up from a girl into a young woman. He seems quite to reckon on her as the companion of his evenings, and his assistant in his multifarious duties."

"Mary is so good a girl," said I, “that I am persuaded he will not reckon on her in vain."

Here she came up to us, smiling, and said, "Miss Middlemass, there are so many things belonging to you hanging on the Christmas tree unclaimed !”

"Is it possible?" cried I, rising with secret

P

reluctance; but Mary affectionately offered me her arm, and I could not hang back.

In another ten minutes I was again at Mrs. Meade's side.

"I tried," said she, smiling, "to bring a friend with me this evening, who would, I thought, be a not unpleasing addition to your circle; but, unfortunately, he could not be persuaded."

"Mr. Meade ?" said I.

"No; a Mr. Mortlake."

He

"Mr. Mortlake!" I involuntarily repeated. "An old acquaintance of my husband's, rather than of mine. He happened to be passing through the town on business; called on his old friend, and lunched with us. asked me if there were not some sisters of a friend of his, Mr. John Middlemass, here. I replied, Yes, and that I was going to join a breaking-up party at your house this very

evening, and said that, as he was a friend of your brother's, I should have no hesitation in taking him with me, if he liked; but he suddenly turned very shy, and, after one or two inquiries, declined. I told him he was punishing himself, for I knew he would like you."

I

WAS perplexed by this: there seemed a hitch somewhere.

"Jacintha saw Mr. Mortlake in passing," said I, "so it is a pity he did not accompany you, for I think he is rather a favourite of my brother's. Perhaps he will be more courageous to-morrow, when we are not so formidable a party."

"Oh, no," said Mrs. Meade, "he returned to town this afternoon."

Here was a blow! She little knew she had

given one; and went on to speak unconcernedly on other subjects. But, after all, what harm was done? Jacintha was disappointed of a pleasant visitor, and my little castle in the air, which Marian had told me was absurd, was demolished. But could not Mr. Mortlake pass through a town on business without exciting expectations? There was nothing in it-or, at least, there would have been nothing suspected, but for Jacintha's evident emotion.

Even now I could see her glancing towards the door whenever it opened; and I knew, or thought I knew, that she was seemingly occupied in one thing and really in another. I lost sight of her among a group, and in her place beheld the smiling, heart-whole Marian, pleasing and pleased, whatever she said, did, or looked, and followed by the loving eyes of several of her partial scholars.