d that she was engaged."

"Yes," said Graeme, "I was helping Nelly, and I was in my old blue
wrapper."

"Now, Graeme," said Will, "that is not the least like you. What about a
wrapper?"

"Nothing, of course. But a call at that hour is not at all times
convenient, unless from once intimate friends, and we are not intimate."

"But perhaps she designs to honour you with her intimate friendship,"
said Charlie.

Graeme laughed.

"I am very much obliged to her. But I think we could each make a
happier choice of friends."

"She is a very clever woman, though, let me tell you," said Arthur; "and
she can make herself very agreeable, too, when she chooses."

"Well, I cannot imagine ever being charmed by her," said Graeme,
hastily. "There is something--a feeling that she is not sincere--that
would spoil all her attempts at being agreeable, as far as I am
concerned."

"Smooth and false," said Charlie.

"No, Charlie. You are much too severe," said Arthur. "Graeme's idea of
insincerity is better, though very severe for her. And, after all, I
don't think that she is consciously insincere. I can scarcely tell what
it is that makes the dear lady other than admirable. I think it must be
her taste for management, as Miss Fanny calls it. She does not seem to
be able to go straight to any point, but plans and arranges, and thinks
herself very clever when she succeeds in making people do as she wishes,
when in nine cases out of ten, she would have succeeded quite as well by
simply expressing her desires. After all, her manoeuvring is very
transparent, and therefore very harmless."

"Transparent! Harmless!" repeated Charlie. "You must excuse me if I
say I think you do the lady's talents great injustice. Not that I have
any personal knowledge of the matter, however: and if I were to repeat
the current reports, Miss Elliott would call them gossip and repudiate
them, and me too, perhaps. She has the reputation of having the `wisdom
of the serpent;' the slyness of the cat, I think."

They all laughed, for Charlie had warmed as he went on.

"I am sure it must be very uncomfortable to have anything to do with
such a person," said Rose. "I should feel as though I must be always on
the watch for something unexpected."

"To be always on the watch for something unexpected, would be rather
uncomfortable--`for a continuance,' as Janet would say. But I don't see
the necessity of that with Mrs Grove. I think it must be r