ok!"

"I am tired; but weddings don't happen very often. Have you been
enjoying yourself?"

"Oh! yes, so much. I don't think there ever was such a delightful party.
It is only a pity Bella could not be here, and Maurice."

"I am afraid Maurice would not have enjoyed himself so much as you have
done. Lucia, I am a little vexed with you, though I do not know whether
I ought to say so."

Lucia hung her head for a moment, and then raised it saucily, confident
that, as she stood half in shadow, her glowing cheeks could not be seen.

"Why are you vexed with me?" she asked.

But it was not so easy to answer the question straightforwardly, and
Mrs. Bellairs paused, half repenting that she had spoken.

"Do you know," she said, "what people are beginning to call you? They
say that you are a flirt; and that is not a desirable character for a
girl to acquire."

Lucia's cheeks burned in good earnest now, but it was with anger, not
shame.

"But it is not true. I am not a flirt. It is quite absurd to say so. You
know I am not, Mrs. Bellairs."

She was right. This was not at all the accusation which her friend had
in her heart to make, though people _did_ say it, and Mrs. Bellairs had
heard them.

Lucia turned around. "I will get ready to go," she said. But some one
was standing close beside her.

"Mr. Percy!" she exclaimed angry and annoyed, while Mrs. Bellairs
hastily congratulated herself that he had neither been mentioned nor
alluded to.

"I beg your pardon," he said. "I came in this instant to look for you
for our waltz. Some one told me you were here."

But Lucia could not recover her temper in a moment.

"It is very late," she said, "and I am too tired to dance any more--pray
excuse me;" and she walked out of the room with the most dignified air
in the world, leaving Mr. Percy in considerable surprise and some
offence. There was something so charming, however, in her little air of
pride and displeasure, that he admired her more then ever; while she,
quite unconscious of the effect her ill-humour had produced, made haste
to prepare for her drive home, but found an opportunity at the last
moment to throw her arms round Mrs. Bellairs' neck and whisper, as she
said good-night,

"Don't be vexed with me. Indeed I shall never be a flirt."

As usual, on Lucia's return from any evening amusement, Mrs. Costello
herself opened the door of the Cottage on her arrival. They went
together to the parlour for a few minutes