and perhaps that is
the reason of my being somewhat particular in my observation of her
style of dress. Certainly, she makes a most decided sensation here
to-night; for every eye is upon her, and every tongue, that I have
yet heard speak is teeming with words of admiration."

"That she does," responded the friend. "Every other girl in the room
will be dying of envy or neglect before the evening is over."

"That would speak little for the gallantry of the men or the good
sense of the young ladies," was the quiet reply.

Several times the eye of Henry Clarence wandered around the room in
search of Caroline--but he did not see her in the gay assemblage.

"She told me she would be here," he mentally said, "and I should
really like to mark the contrast between her and the brilliant Miss
Fenton. Oh! there she is, as I live, leaning on the arm of her
father, the very personification of innocence and beauty. But her
face is too calm by half. I fear she is cold."

Truly was she as Henry Clarence had said, the personification of
innocence and beauty. Her dress of snowy whiteness, made perfectly
plain, and fitting well a figure that was rather delicate, but of
exquisite symmetry, contrasted beautifully with the gay and
flaunting attire of those around her. Her head could boast but a
single ornament, besides her own tastefully arranged hair, and that
was a sprig of buds and half-blown flowers as white as the dress she
had chosen for the evening. Her calm sweet face looked sweeter and
more innocent than ever, for the contrast of the whole scene
relieved her peculiar beauty admirably.

"An angel?" ejaculated a young man by the side of Clarence, moving
over towards the part of the room where Caroline stood, still
leaning on the arm of her father.

"We wanted but you to make our tableau complete," he said, with a
graceful bow. "Let me relieve you, Mr. Gay, of the care of this
young lady," he added offering his arm to Caroline--and in the next
minute he had joined the promenade with the sweetest creature in the
room by his side.

The beautiful contrast that was evident to all, between Caroline,
the plainest-dressed maiden in the room, and Melvina the gayest and
most imposing, soon drew all eyes upon the former, and Melvina had
the discrimination to perceive that she had a rival near the throne,
in one whom she little dreamed of fearing; and whose innocent heart
she knew too well to accuse of design.

Soon cotillion parties w