“The nearest I ever knew him come to any thing witty,” whispered Ida, from behind a fire screen.  “I do believe you’ve rubbed up his ideas, and I predict that you win him instead of Ella.”

Mary did not even smile, for to her there was something revolting in the idea of being even teased about Henry, who was conceited enough to attribute her reserve to the awe which he fancied his “elegant presence” inspired!  If Ella with all her wealth and beauty placed an invaluable estimate upon his attentions, why should not her unpretending sister be equally in love with him?  And the young dandy stroked his mustache with his white fingers, and wondered what Ella Campbell would say if she knew how much her sister admired him, and how very nearly his admiration was returned!

At length William arose to go, and advancing towards Mary, he took her hand, saying in a low tone with marked emphasis on the word sister, “I find my sister greatly changed and improved since I last saw her.”

“And you too are changed,” returned Mary, her eyes filling with tears, for William’s manner was not as of old.

“Yes, in more respects than one,” said he, “but I shall see you again.  Do you attend Mrs. Russell’s party?”

Mary replied in the affirmative, and the next moment he was gone.  Half an hour after, Henry, too, departed, saying to Mary as he went out, “You musn’t fail to be at Mrs. Russell’s, for I shall only go for the sake of seeing you.—­Truth, upon my honor, what little I have,” he continued, as Mary’s eyes flashed forth her entire disbelief of what he said.  “I am in earnest now, if I never was before.”

Ida laughed aloud at the mystified picture which Mary’s face presented as the door closed upon Henry.  “You are too much of a novice to see through every thing, but you’ll learn in time that opinions frequently change with circumstances,” said she.

That night in his chamber, with his heels upon the marble mantel, and his box of cigars and bottle of brandy at his side, the man of fashion soliloquized as follows:  “Zounds!  How that girl has improved.  Never saw the like in my life.—­Talk about family and rank, and all that stuff.  Why, there isn’t a lady in Boston that begins to have the air distingue which Mary Howard has.  Of course she’ll be all the go.  Every thing the Seldens take up is.  Ain’t I glad Moreland is in New Orleans; for with his notions he wouldn’t hesitate to marry her if he liked her, poor as she is.  Now if she only had the chink, I’d walk up to her quick.  I don’t see why the deuce the old man need to have got so involved just now, as to make it necessary for me either to work or have a rich wife.  Such eyes too, as Mary’s got!  Black and fiery one minute, blue and soft the next.  Well, any way I’ll have a good time flirting with her, just for the sake of seeing Ella wince and whimper, if nothing more.  Bah!  What a simpleton she is, compared with Mary.  I wonder how much Mrs. Campbell is worth, and if Ella will have it all.”