her in the hopes of some amendment
here on his part; but he only smiled, and shook his head, and said,

"Pretty much so, Emma."

"And then, dressed--oh, you never saw a girl so bedizzened!"

"Strange!" said Mrs. Castleton. "that Harry should admire such a girl.
He is generally rather critical--hates particularly to see you at all
over-dressed, Emma. He never would admire Fanny Lewis, you know,
because she had something of that manner. I wonder he should admire
this girl."

"Oh, it all depends very much upon the _clique_ in which a man sees a
girl how she strikes him," said Tom. "Miss Dawson's manners are very
much those of the girls around her, quite as good, if not better; then
she is really handsome--moreover, very much admired, the belle of the
set; and Harry's vanity is rather flattered, I suppose, by the
preference she shows him."

"You think, then, she likes him?" said Mrs. Castleton.

"I know nothing more about it than you do," replied Tom. "I suppose
she must, for she certainly could marry richer men than Harry if she
wanted to. She has the merit, at least, of disinterestedness."

"Harry would be a great match for her," said Emma, indignantly--"and
she knows it. She might get more money, perhaps, but think of the
difference of position."

"Yes, I suppose that has something to do with it," replied Tom. "You
women all think so much of such things."

"Strange!" repeated Mrs. Castleton, "I don't know how Harry can fancy
such a girl."

"Don't you know all objects vary according to the light they are in,"
said Tom. "If Harry saw Miss Dawson among young ladies of a different
style and stamp, the changes of the 'dissolving views' would not be
greater. The present picture would fade away, and a new, and in all
probability a very different one, would take its place."

"That's a good idea!" exclaimed Mrs. Castleton, suddenly, and clapping
her hands joyfully. "I'll call and ask her to my party for the bride."

Emma looked at her for a moment aghast, as if she thought she had
suddenly gone crazy.

"What do you mean, Laura?" she exclaimed.

"Why, to follow out Tom's idea," she said. "It's excellent! I'm going
to give Mrs. Flemming a party. I'll make it very select, and not
large; invite all the prettiest and most elegant girls, and then play
amiable to Harry, by telling him I'll call upon his Miss Dawson and
invite her."

Emma looked very dubious, and said,

"I don't like our countenancing the thing in th