"What an artless sprite it is!" said one old gentleman, who had

stared at her from the instant of her entrance, in mute enjoyment,

to the great amusement of his more knowing nephews.

"All but the artless!" rejoined one of the sophisticated youngsters.

"She is gotten up too well for that. Ten to one she is an

experienced stager, who calculates to a nicety the capabilities of

every twist of her silky hair and twinkle of an eyelash. Hallo! that

IS gushing--nicely done, if it isn't almost equal to the genuine

thing, in fact."

The ambiguous compliment was provoked by a change of scene and a new

actor, that opened other optics than his lazy ones to their

extremest extent. A gentleman had come in alone and quietly--a tall,

manly personage, whose serious countenance had just time to soften

into a smile of recognition before the black-robed fairy flew up to

him--both hands extended--her face one glad sunbeam of surprise and

welcome.

"YOU here!" she exclaimed, in a low, thrilling tone, shedding into

his the unclouded rays of her glorious eyes, while one of her hands

lingered in his friendly hold. "This is almost too good to be true!

When did you come? How long are you going to stay? and what did you

come for? Yours is the only familiar physiognomy I have beheld since

our arrival, and my eyes were becoming ravenous for a sight of

remembered things. Which reminds me"--coloring bewitchingly, with an

odd mixture of mirth and chagrin in smile and voice--"that I have

been getting up quite a little show on my own account, forgetful of

les regles, and I suppose the horrified lookers-on think of les

moeurs. May I atone for my inadvertence by presenting you, in good

and regular form, to my somewhat shocked, but very respectable,

relatives? Did you know that I was in Congress this year--that is,

Mr. Mason, my aunt's husband, is an Honorable, and I am here with

them?"

The gentleman gave her his arm, and they strolled leisurely in the

direction of the party she had deserted so unceremoniously.

"I did not know it, bat I am glad to learn that you are to make a

long visit to the city. I have business that may detain me here for

a week--perhaps a fort-night," was his answer to the first question

she suffered him thus to honor.

Then the introduction to Mr. and Mrs. Mason, their married daughter,

Mrs. Cunningham, and her husband, was performed. The Member's wife

was a portly, good-natured Virginia matron, whose ruling desire to

make all about her comfortable as herself, sometimes led to

contretemps that were trying to the subjects of her kindness, and

would have been distressing to her, had she ever, by any chance,

guessed what she had done.




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