h more politeness than sincerity, saying he had no
doubt Graeme would be happy to give Rose the pleasure, and then they got
away.

"Papa, and mamma, and brother Dick. I declare it looks serious. What
are you meditating, now, Rosie, if I may ask?"

"My dear Harry, if you think by chaff to escape the scolding you know
you deserve, you will find yourself mistaken. The idea of your taking
Graeme and Fanny away, and leaving me there by myself! I don't know
what I should have done if Arthur had not come back. To be sure I had
Etta Goldsmith, who is a dear little thing. I don't think her big
brother is so very ugly if he hadn't red hair. And he must be clever,
or he would not have been permitted to make that speech. His papa and
mamma must be delighted. But it was very shabby of you, Harry, to go
and leave me alone; was it not, Arthur?"

"But, you might have come, too," said Fanny. "I thought you were
following us."

"And so did I," said Graeme.

"Well, dear little Etta Goldsmith pounced upon me the moment you left,
and then it was too late. I did not feel sufficiently strong-minded to
elbow my way through the crowd alone, or I might have followed you."

"I did not miss you at first," said Harry, "and then I wanted Charlie to
go for you, but--"

"He very properly refused. Don't excuse yourself, Harry. And I had set
my heart on comparing jackets with Miss Roxbury, too."

"Why did you not stay and speak to her at the door, then?" said Harry,
who had rather lost his presence of mind under his sister's reproaches.
He had hurried after her, fully intending to take her to task for being
so stiff and distant, and he was not prepared to defend himself,--

"Why didn't you wait and speak to her at the door?"

"Oh! you know, I could not have seen it well then, as she was in the
carriage. It is very awkward looking up to carriage people, don't you
think? And, besides, it would not have been quite polite to the
Goldsmiths," added she, severely. "You know they befriended me when I
was left alone."

"Befriended you, indeed. I expected every minute to see your feather
take fire as he bent his red head down over it. I felt like giving him
a beating," said Harry, savagely. Rose laughed merrily.

"My dear Harry! You couldn't do it. He is so much bigger than you. At
least, he has greater weight, as the fighting people say."

"But it is all nonsense, Rose. I don't like it. It looked to me, and
to other peopl