ire, she could not have been more completely free from
the abomination.

"I am sorry that you should not be enjoying yourself," said Mr.
Boncassen, coming to his wife's relief.

"Nothing could have been nicer. To tell the truth, I am standing idle
by way of showing my anger against your daughter, who would not dance
with me."

"I am sure she would have felt herself honoured," said Mr. Boncassen.

"Who is the gentleman with her?" asked the mother.

"A particular friend of mine--Dolly Longstaff."

"Dolly!" ejaculated Mrs. Boncassen.

"Everybody calls him so. His real name I believe to be Adolphus."

"Is he,--is he--just anybody?" asked the anxious mother.

"He is a very great deal,--as people go here. Everybody knows him.
He is asked everywhere, but he goes nowhere. The greatest compliment
paid to you here is his presence."

"Nay, my Lord, there are the Countess Montague, and the Marchioness
of Capulet, and Lord Tybalt, and--"

"They go everywhere. They are nobodies. It is a charity to even
invite them. But to have had Dolly Longstaff once is a triumph for
life."

"Laws!" said Mrs. Boncassen, looking hard at the young man who was
dancing. "What has he done?"

"He never did anything in his life."

"I suppose he's very rich."

"I don't know. I should think not. I don't know anything about his
riches, but I can assure you that having had him down here will quite
give a character to the day."

In the meantime Dolly Longstaff was in a state of great excitement.
Some part of the character assigned to him by Lord Silverbridge was
true. He very rarely did go anywhere, and yet was asked to a great
many places. He was a young man,--though not a very young man,--with
a fortune of his own and the expectation of a future fortune. Few men
living could have done less for the world than Dolly Longstaff,--and
yet he had a position of his own. Now he had taken it into his head
to fall in love with Miss Boncassen. This was an accident which
had probably never happened to him before, and which had disturbed
him much. He had known Miss Boncassen a week or two before Lord
Silverbridge had seen her, having by some chance dined out and sat
next to her. From that moment he had become changed, and had gone
hither and thither in pursuit of the American beauty. His passion
having become suspected by his companions had excited their ridicule.
Nevertheless he had persevered;--and now he was absolutely dancing
with the lady out in