“Why, Dr. Lacey,” said she, “how you frightened me!  Why are you not at the reading?”

“Because,” answered he, “when my lady breaks her engagement, I think I, too, can remain at home.  But why did you change your mind, Miss Fanny?  I thought you were anxious to go.”

Fanny blushed painfully, and the tears came to her eyes, but she replied, “I was anxious to go, but they thought I had better not.”

“And who is they?” asked the doctor; “and why did they think you had better not go?”

Fanny answered, “Mrs. Carrington and Julia said I was too young to go out with—­”

“With such a bad man as I am,” said Dr. Lacey, laughing.

“Oh, no,” said Fanny; “they do not think you bad; they said with any gentleman.”

“Too young, are you?” said Dr. Lacey.  “How old are you, Fanny?”

“I was sixteen last May,” she replied.

“Sixteen; just as old as Anna was when she died, and just as old as my mother was when she was married; so it seems you are not too young to die, or to be married either, if you are too young to go out with me,” said Dr. Lacey.

Fanny did not reply; and he continued, “Whom would you have gone with if you had not spent your money this morning for those old aunts?”

Fanny started; and giving him a searching look, was about to reply, when he anticipated her by saying, “Yes, Fanny, I overheard your conversation this morning, and I cannot sufficiently admire your generous self-denial.  I have heard Fanny Kemble two or three times, so I did not care to hear her again; but I decided to go for the pleasure of having you hear her; but as you did not choose to go, I have remained here with you, and wish to have you tell me something about your parents and your home, and also wish you to ask me to go there some time.”

Fanny answered, hesitatingly, “I am afraid you would not like to go there, Dr. Lacey.”

“Why not?” said he.  “Do you not like your home?”

“Oh, yes, very much,” she replied; “but father is a little odd, and you might feel inclined to laugh at him; but he is very kind, and if you could forget his roughness, you would like him.”

“I know I shall like him, just because he is your father,” said Dr. Lacey.

He then turned the conversation upon other subjects, and Fanny found him so agreeable that she never thought of the hour until Mr. Wilmot, Mrs. Carrington and Julia suddenly entered the parlor.

“Upon my word,” said Mrs. Carrington, “you have both stolen a march upon us.”

“I hope you have been agreeably entertained, Dr. Lacey,” said Julia, in an ironical tone.

“I assure you I have,” said he, warmly “I do not remember having passed so pleasant an evening for a long, long time.”

“I dare say not; Fanny is usually very interesting,” was, Julia’s contemptuous reply, and as Mr. Wilmot just then took his leave, she very haughtily left the room and went upstairs, muttering to herself, “Foiled for the first time in my life.”