sie from accepting the invitations that
were showered on them when they had given up lessons and were supposed
to be ready to come out. If people would meet at six, and break up
before twelve, and wear dresses fashioned like their ordinary attire,
Mr. Hogarth saw no objection to evening parties. He had invited the
neighbours to such a party, and mentioned in his note of invitation the
conditions on which it was to be attended. A good many had accepted,
partly from curiosity, and partly from a wish to be friendly; but, in
spite of really good arrangements and an excellent supper, the party
was not such a success as to be repeated often by Mr. Hogarth, and was
never imitated by any of his guests.

The Misses Melville danced well, walked well, and rode admirably; they
spent several hours every day in the open air; had learnt to swim, and
to shoot both with bow and arrow and with rifle. Their physical
education had been excellent, and had probably saved Elsie's life, for
she was extremely delicate when young, but had gained strength as she
grew up.

Their book education had been chiefly conducted by an old gentleman,
who had lived for eight years in their house as tutor, and they had
spent several winters in Edinburgh, to attend classes and lectures. No
money, no care, and no time had been spared on their education, so that
it was rather a pity that, in the eyes of the world, it was so
unsatisfactory when completed. Both had gone through the same routine;
for Mr. Hogarth seemed to think that education made characters, instead
of merely drawing out what there is in the original material, and he
was disappointed that the uniformity of the training had not produced
two characters more similar than those of Jane and Elsie. Jane's
tendencies were to the practical and the positive; and she gladly
availed herself of her uncle's whim to educate her like a man of
business, regretting none of the accomplishments and showy acquirements
which are too apt to be considered the principal part of female
education. Expecting that she would be left in possession of
considerable property, and virtually the guardian of her younger
sister, she saw a fitness and propriety in her being taught the
management of money, the science of agriculture, the care of an
establishment, and the accurate keeping of accounts.

Elsie would have preferred another training, but it was not given to
her; and though she made but a lame attempt to follow Jane's foo