top story were engaged in a variety of occupations.

"Who is that ugly old woman?" he at length askt, "that is so busy up
there, and is coming back again every moment in her grey cloak?"

"She is one of my servants," said his bride; "she is to overlook and
manage my chambermaids and other girls."

"How can you endure to have anything so hideous perpetually at your
elbow?" replied Emilius.

"Let her alone," answered the young lady: "God meant the ugly to live
as well as the handsome; and she is such a good honest creature, she
may be of great use to us."

On rising from table everybody gathered round the bridegroom, again
wisht him joy, and urgently begged him to let them have a ball. The
bride too said, breathing a gentle kiss on his forehead: "You will not
deny your wife's first request, my beloved; we have all been
delighting in the hope of this. It is so long since I danced last; and
you have never yet seen me dance. Have you no curiosity how I shall
acquit myself in this new character? my mother tells me I look better
than at any other time."

"I never saw you in such gay spirits before," said Emilius. "I will
not throw a damp over your mirth; do as you please: only don't let
anybody ask me to make a laughing stock of myself by trying to cut
clumsy capers."

"Oh, if you are a bad dancer," she answered laughing, "you may feel
quite safe; we shall all readily consent to your sitting still." The
bride then retired to put on her ball dress.

"She does not know," whispered Emilius to Roderick, as he withdrew,
"that there is a secret door by which I can get from the next room
into hers: I will surprise her while she is dressing."

When Emilius had left them, and many of the ladies were also gone to
make such changes in their attire as were requisite for the ball,
Roderick took the young men aside and led the way to his own room.

"It is wearing toward evening," he said, "and will soon be dark; so
make haste all of you and mask yourselves, that we may render this
night glorious in the annals of merriment and madness. Give your
fancies free range in choosing your characters; the wilder and uglier
the better. Try every combination of shaggy mane, and squinting eye,
and mouth gaping like a volcano; pile mountains atop of your
shoulders, or plump yourselves out into Falstaffs; and as a whet to
your inventions I promise a kiss from the bride to the figure that
would be the likeliest to make her miscarry. A wedding