me. He exerted himself to the
utmost to please, and, being fluent of speech and thoroughly
satisfied with himself, had no shyness or awkwardness to get
over, and jumped at once into the good graces of Mary's parents.
When she returned after the waltz, she found him, to her no small
astonishment, deep in conversation with her mother, who was
listening with a pleased expression to his small talk. He
pretended not to see her at first, and then begged Mrs. Porter to
introduce him formally to her daughter, though he had already had
the honour of dancing with her.

Mary put on her shortest and coldest manner, and thought she had
never heard of such impertinence. That he should be there talking
so familiarly to her mother after the slip he had made to her was
almost too much even for her temper. But she went off for another
dance, and again returned and found him still there; this time
entertaining Mr. Porter with political gossip. The unfavourable
impression began to wear off, and she soon resolved not to make
up her mind about him without some further knowledge.

In due course he asked her to dance again, and they stood in a
quadrille. She stood by him looking straight before her, and
perfectly silent, wondering how he would open the conversation.
He did not leave her long in suspense.

"What charming people your father and mother are, Miss Porter!"
he said; "I am so glad to have been introduced to them."

"Indeed! You are very kind. We ought to be flattered by your
study of us, and I am sure I hope you will find it amusing."

St. Cloud was a little embarrassed by the rejoinder, and was not
sorry at the moment to find himself called upon to perform the
second figure. By the time he was at her side again he had
recovered himself.

"You can't understand what a pleasure it is to meet some one with
a little freshness"--he paused to think how he should end his
sentence.

"Who has not the air of society," she suggested. "Yes, I quite
understand."

"Indeed you quite mistake me. Surely you have not taken seriously
the nonsense I was talking just now?"

"I am a constituent, you know--I don't understand how to take the
talk of society."

"Oh, I see, then, that you are angry at my joke, and will not
believe that I knew your father perfectly by sight. You really
cannot seriously fancy that I was alluding to anyone connected
with you;" and then he proceeded to retail the particulars he had
picked up from the lady of the h