that fellow two! and such a fellow! If it was
Northcote, I might be equally jea--displeased, but I could understand
it, for he is not a fool."

"I think," said Phoebe, looking towards the other end of the room, where
Northcote was occupied as usual close to Ursula's work-basket, "that Mr.
Northcote manages to amuse himself very well without any help of mine."

"Ah!" cried Reginald, startled; for of course it is needless to say that
the idea of any special devotion to his little sister had never entered
his mind. He felt disposed to laugh at first when the idea was suggested
to him, but he gave a second look, and fellow-feeling threw a certain
enlightenment upon the subject. "That would never do," he said gravely;
"I wonder I never thought of it before."

"Why would it not do? She is very nice, and he is clever and a rising
man; and he is very well off; and you said just now he was not a fool."

"Nevertheless it would never do," said Reginald, opposing her pointedly,
as he had never opposed her before; and he remained silent for a whole
minute, looking across the room, during which long interval Phoebe sat
demurely on the chair where he had placed her, looking at him with a
smile on her face.

"Well?" she said at length, softly, "it was talk you said you wanted,
Mr. May; but you are not so ready to tune up your violin as Mr.
Copperhead, though I wait with my fingers on the piano, so to speak."

"I beg your pardon!" he cried, and then their eyes met, and both
laughed, though, as far as Reginald was concerned, in an embarrassed
way.

"You perceive," said Phoebe, rising, "that it is not nearly so easy to
please you, and that you don't know half so exactly what you want, as
Clarence Copperhead does, though you abuse him, poor fellow. I have got
something to say to Ursula! though, perhaps, she does not want me any
more than you do."

"Don't give me up for one moment's distraction; and it was your fault,
not mine, for suggesting such a startling idea."

Phoebe shook her head, and waved her hand as a parting salutation, and
then went across the room to where Ursula was sitting, where Horace
Northcote at least found her very much in his way. She began at once to
talk low and earnestly on some subject so interesting that it absorbed
both the girls in a way which was very surprising and unpleasant to the
young men, neither of whom had been able to interest the one whose
attention he was specially anxious to secure half