I can't make it out: that
darling face of yours changes often enough from sunshine to
clouds, and from clouds to sunshine; but I never saw it look
just like to-night."

I kissed her fondly, but said with some impatience, "Let us
go--we are very late."

We went accordingly, and my uncle with us. When we entered the
room, it was crowded to suffocation, and we made our way with
difficulty to some seats, near which Mrs. Miltown and Mrs.
Brandon were. Henry was talking to the latter when we came up
to them; he gave me his chair, and ensconced himself in a
corner behind us. I felt that Mr. Middleton's eye was upon me,
and I entered into conversation in the most eager manner with
Mrs. Brandon, in order to avoid speaking to him. He bore it
for a little while; but soon touching my arm gently, he said
in a low voice, "Come and dance; I want to speak to you."

I answered in the same tone, "No, I can't--don't ask me."

"Very well; you will explain this to me later," he rejoined,
in a manner in which my penetration or my fancy detected
something dictatorial, which annoyed and provoked me. Wherever
I stood, whenever I danced, to whoever I talked during the
next two hours, I felt conscious that his piercing eyes were
fixed upon me with a scrutinizing expression which I could
hardly bear. Added to this, I saw that Mr. Middleton, who knew
nobody, and spoke to nobody, was concentrating all his powers
of observation upon us both, and was watching him as
pertinaciously as he watched me. At last, unable to endure
this any longer, and grievously disappointed that Edward had
not appeared, I asked Mrs. Middleton to go. She consented to
do so, and we walked together into the tea-room on our way
out. Henry followed us, and while his sister was speaking to
some one else, he whispered to me in the bitterest tone
imaginable, "Pray is this dead cut the result of our
yesterday's conversation?"

"How is Alice to-night?" I asked with a trembling voice; for
Mr. Middleton at that moment had joined us again and was
standing by my side.

"Much better, thank you, and very anxious to see you to-morrow
morning," he said in a pointed manner.

"That will be impossible," observed Mr. Middleton, coldly;
"for we have promised to go to-morrow to Mrs. Moore's, at
Hampstead, and we shall remain there two or three days."

A sudden cloud passed over Henry's countenance; but he said,
in a manner which was meant to be careless, "I wish you joy,
Ellen, of