as wanted.

I was standing at his side, and could feel him tremble,--see him turn
pale.

"Dear me!" he whispered, in a choking voice; "can she mean me?"

"Of course she does," said I. "Who else? Do you hesitate? Surely you
can't refuse such an invitation from a lady."

"No, I suppose not," said he, mechanically. And amidst much laughter
from the disinterested, while the faces of Mrs. Rumbullion and his
mother were spectacles of crimson astonishment, he made his exit
from the room. Never in my life did I so much long for that
instrument described by Mr. Samuel Weller,--a pair of patent
double-million-magnifying microscopes of hextry power, to see
through a deal door. Instead of this, I had to learn what happened
only by report.

Lottie Pilgrim was standing under the hall burners with her elbow on the
newel-post, looking more vividly charming than he had ever seen her
before at Mrs. Cramcroud's sociable or elsewhere. When startled by the
apparition of Mr. Daniel Lovegrove instead of the little Rumbullion
whom she was expecting,--she had no time to exclaim or hide her mounting
color, none at all to explain to her own mind the mistake that had
occurred, before his arm was clasped around her waist, and his lips so
closely pressed to hers, that through her soft thick hair she could feel
the throbbing of his temples. As for Daniel, he seemed in a walking
dream, from which he waked to see Miss Pilgrim looking into his eyes
with utter though not incensed stupefaction,--to stammer,--

"Forgive me! Do forgive me! I thought you were in earnest."

"So I was," she said, tremulously, as soon as she could catch her voice,
"in sending for my cousin Reginald."

"Oh, dear, what shall I do! Believe me, I was told you wanted me,--let
me go and explain it to mother,--she'll tell the rest,--I couldn't do
it,--I'd die of mortification. Oh, that wretched boy Billy!"

On the principle already mentioned, his agitation reassured her.

"Don't try to explain it now,--it may get Billy a scolding. Are there
any but intimate family friends here this evening?"

"No--I believe--no--I'm sure," replied Daniel, collecting his
faculties.

"Then I don't mind what they think. Perhaps they'll suppose we've known
each other long; but we'll arrange it by-and-by. They'll think the more
of it the longer we stay out here,--hear them laugh! I must run back
now. I'll send you somebody."

A round of juvenile applause greeted her as she hurried into the