person developed, she quite outgrew the
faults of her childhood, would be rather hazardous. 'T is true, she no
longer stamped her little foot and burst into passionate tears, as
when we first made her acquaintance, but she bent her pretty dark
brows, and said, "I must," in a tone that Mrs. Grey knew meant, "I
will."

But then who thought of disputing her wishes? Were they not the
main-spring of the whole concern? What else did father or mother live
for? Were not her wishes their wishes, her pleasures their pleasures?
Was not she their idol--their all?

If she would only wrap up warmer, and put thicker shoes on those
little feet, Mrs. Grey would have asked nothing more. But she was
slight, and coughed sometimes, and then Mr. Grey said she should not
have _allowed_ Pauline to go out in those thin shoes, and charged her
not to permit it another time--but never interfered himself--thus
throwing all the responsibility, or rather impossibility, of making
Pauline mind, upon his wife, who indeed always got all Pauline's
scoldings; for though Mr. Grey might find fault when Pauline was
absent, one bright smile and brilliant glance from Pauline present,
was sure to dispel his displeasure.

So Pauline had now reached her seventeenth year, beautiful, gifted,
high-spirited and generous-hearted. And if willful--why, even that
seemed to give a _prononce_ shade to her character, that rather
heightened the brilliancy of its tone.

"You are going to Cecelia Howard's wedding I suppose, Mrs. Grey," said
Mrs. Graham.

"Of course. She is a niece of my husband's, you know."

"Yes. And Pauline is to be bridemaid, I understand," continued the
lady.

"Well--I don't know about that," replied Mrs. Grey, hesitatingly.

"But _I_ do," said Pauline in her pretty willful way. "I told Cecelia
that she might depend on me."

Mrs. Grey looked at her daughter without speaking, though she could
not but smile at her animated face, while Mrs. Graham said, "Oh yes,
why not, Mrs. Grey?"

"Pauline is rather young," continued Mrs. Grey, "for such things."

"True," replied the other, "if it were not in the connection. But
family gayety is quite different."

"Of course," said Mrs. Grey, "if it were not for that, I should not
think of it."

"Well, but I am going, mamma," said Pauline, "So you may make up your
mind to that." And Mrs. Grey felt that she might as well at once. So
after a little more talk about it, and Mr. Grey's saying, "Why,
certainl