e!' said Miss Burr.
'Two gentlemen for each chair,--and whichever of the two put
the candle out, he danced with the lady.'

'Kitty had four or five round her chair'--said Josephine.

'And couldn't the lady help herself?' inquired Primrose, in a
tone of voice which called forth a universal burst of
laughter.

'Why we _did_,' said Josephine. 'If you don't like a man, you
hold the candle up out of his reach.'

'You couldn't baffle everybody so,' remarked Mr. Kingsland.
Several gentlemen had come up during the talk, closing in
round Miss Kennedy.

'Mr. Rollo is right about one thing,' said Miss Burr; 'nobody
has seen the German who has not seen it led by Kitty Fisher.
You should see her dance it, Miss Kennedy.'

'Yes, you should,' echoed Mr. May, 'I had rather look on than
be in it, for my part.'

'What do you think she did at Catskill the other day?' said
Miss Burr. 'She took a piece of ice between her teeth, and
went round the piazza asking all the gentlemen to take a
bite.'

'Clever Kitty! She'll work that up into a new figure--see if
she dont,'--said Mr. Kingsland.

'To be called the _noli me tangere!_' said Mr. May. 'Partners
secured at the melting point.' The other gentlemen laughed.

'I see you and Kitty are at swords' points yet,' said Miss
Burr.

'No,' put in Rollo--'she likes a foil better than a rapier.'

'Certainly it does not sound as if she was like you,
Primrose,' observed Wych Hazel.

'Like Miss Maryland!--Hardly,' said Mr. May. 'Nor like any one
your thoughts could even imagine,' he added softly.

It was growing late now, and the moon gradually passing along
behind the trees, found a clear space at this point, and
looked down full at the little party to see what they were
about. Just then, from the distance, came a stir and a murmur
and sound of laughing voices.

'She's coming this minute!' said Mr. Kingsland. ' "Talk about
angels"!--Your curiosity will soon be fed, Miss Kennedy,--and
may, perchance, like other things, grow by what it feeds on.
Here comes the redoubtable Kitty herself!--Miss Fisher!--my poor
eyes have seen nothing since they last beheld you!'

'Don't see much in ordinary,' said a gay voice; and a young
lady,--too young, alas, for the part she was playing!--swept
into the circle. A very handsome girl, with a coronet of fair
hair, from which strayed braids and curls and crinkles and
puffs and bands and flowers and ribbands; her dress in the
extremest extremity of the