y."

In spite of Mr. Brandon's expressed admiration for Miss Rennie's
verses, he got soon tired of reading them, and preferred the intervals
of conversation between the pieces. Before they had looked through more
than half of the album, which was a very large one, he proposed to
return to the dancing-room, and Elsie reluctantly left the book on the
library table, hoping to snatch another half-hour to finish it. Miss
Rennie's verses were decidedly inferior to her own;--even her recent
humiliation could not prevent her from seeing this, and she felt a good
deal inspirited.

Several times during the evening, she was on the point of mentioning
Peggy Walker's name to her old master, but she knew too much about them
to be able to do it with ease; she, however, ascertained that he was to
be some time in and about Edinburgh, and learned from Miss Rennie where
Mrs. Rutherford lived, so that she could tell Peggy where she might
find him, if she wished to see him.

In the quadrille which Elsie danced with Mr. Brandon, William Dalzell
and Laura Wilson were at first placed as vis-a-vis, but they moved to
the side, and Elsie had the pleasure of seeing her sister and cousin
instead. But both sisters could not but hear the familiar voice making
the same sort of speeches to Miss Wilson that he had done a few months
ago to Jane. How very poor and hollow they appeared now! Elsie thought
Miss Wilson would just suit him. She was rich enough to make him
overlook her defects of understanding and temper, and what was even
harder to manage, her very ordinary face and figure. There was an easy
solution of Mr. Dalzell's cultivating the acquaintance of the Rennies
in this wished-for introduction to the wealthy ward.

Mr. Dalzell thought he ought to ask Jane to dance once, just to show
that he did not quite forget his old friends. He tried Elsie first, but
she was fortunately engaged to Mr. Malcolm, so he walked slowly to Miss
Melville, and asked her hand in an impressive manner. She willingly
accepted, and spoke to him as she would to any ordinary acquaintance.
He was piqued; he had hoped to have made her a little jealous of his
attentions to Miss Wilson, and tried to get up a little sentimental
conversation about old times, and the rides they used to have, and the
romantic scenery about Cross Hall and Moss Tower, but not the slightest
sigh of regret could his ear catch. He apologized for not having been
to see her, and said his mother regrett