away from Rose, and
ran hastily up to the dressing-room.

Nothing of all this escaped Henry's quick eye, and as sundry unpaid
bills for wine, brandy, oyster suppers, and livery, came looming up
before his mind, he thought proper to make some amends for his
neglect. Accordingly when Ella returned to the drawing-room, he
offered her his arm, asking "what made her eyes so red," and slyly
pressing her hand, when she averted her face saying, "Nothing,--they
weren't red."

Meantime William Bender, having managed to drop Jenny from his arm,
had asked Mary to accompany him to a small conservatory, which was
separated from the reception rooms by a long and brilliantly lighted
gallery. As they stood together, admiring a rare exotic, William's
manner suddenly changed, and drawing Mary closer to his side, he said
distinctly, though hurriedly, "I notice, Mary, that you seem
embarrassed in my presence, and I have, therefore, sought this
opportunity to assure you that I shall not again distress you by a
declaration of love, which, if returned, would now give me more pain
than pleasure, for as I told you at Mr. Selden's, I am changed in more
respects than one. It cost me a bitter struggle to give you up, but
reason and judgment finally conquered, and now I can calmly think of
you, as some time belonging to another, and with all a brother's
confidence, can tell you that I, too, love another,--not as once I
loved you, for that would be impossible but with a calmer, more
rational love."

All this time Mary had not spoken, though the hand which William had
taken in his trembled like an imprisoned bird; but when he came to
speak of loving another, she involuntarily raised his hand to her
lips, exclaiming, "It's Jenny, it's Jenny."

"You have guessed rightly," returned William, smiling at the
earnestness of her manner. "It is Jenny, though how such a state of
things ever came about, is more than I can tell."

Mary thought of the old saying, "Love begets love," but she said
nothing, for just then Jenny herself joined them. Looking first at
William, then at Mary, and finally passing her arm around the latter,
she whispered, "I know he's told you, and I'm glad, for somehow I
couldn't tell you myself."

Wisely thinking that his company could be dispensed with, William
walked away, leaving the two girls alone. In her usual frank way,
Jenny rattled on, telling Mary how happy she was, and how funny it
seemed to be engaged, and how frighten