n more brilliant than the last, Miss Thorne more
exquisitely dressed, but Hiram kept aloof. Miss Thorne had never been
slighted before--never. This evening she was tempted to waive her pride,
and inquire of her dear friend Mrs. Bennett, with whom she saw Hiram
conversing--but the thought was too humiliating, and she forbore.

How she hated the wretch!--that is, as women hate, and as men like to be
hated. What should she do? Could she endure to attend another party, and
be so treated? Why, the creature never even looked toward her! What
right had he to dress so fashionably and to waltz with such ease, and in
fact appear so well every way? To occupy quite by himself the very best
pew in St. Jude's, directly in front of her! What audacity! Then his
provoking _nonchalance_. Oh, what was she to do? She should go crazy.
Not quite that. She would first inquire of Mr. Myrtle, in a very
careless manner. So she ran in that same morning on the accomplished
clergyman, and was speedily in a full gallop of conversation.

'By the way,' she exclaimed, at length, as if a new thought had suddenly
struck her, 'pray, tell me, who is my new neighbor? I intended asking
the last time I saw you, but forgot it.'

The Rev. Charles Myrtle looked completely mystified, and asked with his
eyes, plainly as eyes could ask, 'Pray, what do you mean?'

'I see you don't take. I mean the new occupant of the Winslows' pew;
some relation, I suppose.'

'Oh, no. He is a cousin of the Bennetts, a young merchant, who has
purchased the pew.'

'Indeed? A good churchman, I hope, if he is to sit so near me.'

'I should judge so. I am but slightly acquainted with him. Mrs. Bennett,
however, speaks of him in the most enthusiastic terms. She says he has
but one fault (I mention it to save you young people from
disappointment), which is, that he is not fond of ladies' society.'

'I know better,' interrupted Miss Thorne, betraying herself; for she was
thinking of what she had witnessed at the two parties. Too much a woman
of the world to blush or betray any embarrassment, she as quickly
recovered, and added, laughingly, 'No one can make me believe he takes
all that pains with his dress for nothing.'

'Now I think of it, he does dress in very good taste,' said Mr. Myrtle
carelessly. 'I think, however, what Mrs. Bennett meant to convey is that
Mr. Meeker is not a marrying man. She says he is very rich, and has a
horror of being caught, as it is called.'

'So the