own house; and if her choicest guests courted her
notice as little as they would have done any where else, she was too
much elated and flustered, and overheated to think about it. One of
her principal concerns was to keep her eye on her husband, who, being
a shy, timid man, with very little tact, was not much calculated for
playing the host on such an occasion. He had, however, been doing
better than she expected, when, a little before supper, he wandered
through the crowd to where she was standing, for the moment, alone,
and asked, "Where is Cousin Sabina?"

"In the supper-room. It is necessary at such times to have some one
behind the scenes, and I had to get her to remain in the supper-room,
to watch that things went on properly; and, in particular, to see that
none of the silver was carried off, nor the refreshments wasted after
supper."

Mr. Smith looked disturbed, and exclaimed, rather too loudly, "Is it
possible that you could ask a woman like Sabina Incledon to do such a
thing! one of my most respectable relations, and a visiter in my
house?"

"Don't speak so loudly. I left out all my own relations, and I dare
say they would, any of them, have looked as creditably as Sabina
Incledon. When we have established our own standing, Mr. Smith, it
will be time enough for us to bring out such people as your Cousin
Sabina. To be sure, if I had had any one to trust in her place, I
should not have objected at all to her coming in."

Mrs. Smith was turning away, when she saw, at her elbow, Mrs.
Goldsborough and Miss Pendleton, who must have overheard the
conversation. To her it was the mortification of the evening.

The next morning at the breakfast-table Mrs. Smith was too much
occupied in descanting upon the events of the night, describing the
dresses, and detailing the commendations on different viands of the
supper, to notice that Miss Incledon spoke but little, and when she
did, with more dignity and gravity than usual. On rising from the
table, she unlocked the sideboard, and taking from it a basket of
silver, she said, "I would thank you, Cousin Sabina, to assort these
forks and spoons for me. It will be something of a task, as they have
to go to half a dozen different places. When you have got through I
will look over them to see that all is right;" and she was hurrying
off to commence some of the multifarious duties of the day.

"Excuse me, Sarah," said Miss Incledon; "I'll expect that a carriage
will be he