On the next day, Mr. Erskine called upon Mrs. Minturn and her daughter, as he intended leaving the city in the afternoon.

“We looked for you all last evening,” said Mrs. Minturn.  “Why did you not call around?”

“I was at a select party last night,” replied the young man.

“Were you, indeed?”

“Yes.  At Mr. Allender’s.  Do you know the family?”

“At Allender’s!” The tone of surprise, not altogether unmingled with contempt, with which this was uttered by Mrs. Minturn, put Erskine a little on his guard.

“Do you know them?” he asked, with some gravity of manner.

“Not very intimately.  We had some acquaintance in former years, but we have broken it off.  They sent us cards of invitation, but we did not notice them.”

“What is their standing?”

“Not high.  I believe none of our first people visit them.”

“Ah!”

“Who was there?” asked Emeline.

The tone in which this was spoken caused Mr. Erskine to turn and look somewhat closely into the young lady’s face, to mark its expression.  She had never appeared less lovely in his eyes.

“Not a great many,” he replied.

“I suppose not,” said Mrs. Minturn.

“It was a select party,” remarked the young man.

“And select enough, no doubt, you found it.”

“You speak truly.  I have never been in one more so,” replied
Erskine.

“You have not answered my question as to who were there,” said
Emeline.

“Young ladies, do you mean?”

“Yes, young ladies.”

“Do you know Miss B—?”

“I have no particular acquaintance with her.  But she was not there!”

“Oh, yes, she was.  And so was her father, General B—.”

“You astonish me!” said Mrs. Minturn.  “Certainly you are in error.”

“I believe not.  I had a good deal of interesting conversation with General B—­, who is well acquainted with my father.”

“Who else was there?”

“Senator Y—­, and his beautiful niece, who created such a sensation in Washington last winter.  She and Miss Allender, who is, it strikes me, a charming girl, seemed delighted with each other, and were side by side most of the evening.  They sang together many times with exquisite effect.  Then there were Mr. and Mrs. T—­, Mr. and Mrs. R—­, Miss Julia S—­, and Miss G—.”

All these belonged to a circle yet above that in which the Minturns had moved.

“I am astonished,” said Mrs. Minturn, but poorly concealing her mortification.  “I had no idea that the Allenders kept such company.  How did you happen to be invited?”

“Mr. Allender is one of my father’s oldest and most valued friends.  I called at his desire, and found both him and his family far above the ‘common run’ of people.  I do not in the least wonder at the class of persons I met at their house.  I am sorry that you have been led so far astray in your estimation of their characters.  You never could have known them well.”