id Violet, smiling; 'and presently Grace Bennet came
and told Matilda who they were; and while I was listening, oh, I was so
surprised, for there was Albert, my brother, making me look round. Mr.
Martindale had asked to be introduced to us, and he asked me to dance.
I don't believe I answered right, for I thought he meant Matilda. 'But,'
said she, breaking off, 'how I am chattering and hindering you!' and she
coloured and looked down.

'Not at all,' said John; 'there is nothing I wish more to hear, or that
concerns me more nearly. Anything you like to tell.'

'I am afraid it is silly,' half-whispered Violet to herself; but the
recollection was too pleasant not to be easily drawn out; and at her age
the transition is short from shyness to confidence.

'Not at all silly,' said John. 'You know I must wish to hear how I
gained a sister.'

Then, as the strangeness of imagining that this grave, high-bred, more
than thirty-years-old gentleman, could possibly call her by such a
name, set her smiling and blushing in confusion, he wiled on her
communications by saying, 'Well, that evening you danced with Arthur.'

'Three times. It was a wonderful evening. Annette and I said, when we
went to bed, we had seen enough to think of for weeks. We did not know
how much more was going to happen.'

'No, I suppose not.'

'I thought much of it when he bowed to me. I little fancied--but there
was another odd coincidence--wasn't it? In general I never go into the
drawing-room to company, because there are three older; but the day they
came to speak to papa about the fishing, mamma and all the elder ones
were out of the way, except Matilda. I was doing my Roman history
with her, when papa came in and said, we must both come into the
drawing-room.'

'You saw more of him from that time?'

'O yes; he dined with us. It was the first time I ever dined with a
party, and he talked so much to me, that Albert began to laugh at me;
but Albert always laughs. I did not care till--till--that day when he
walked with us in the park, coming home from fishing.'

Her voice died away, and her face burnt as she looked down; but a few
words of interest led her on.

'When I told mamma, she said most likely he thought me a little girl who
didn't signify; but I did not think he could, for I am the tallest of
them all, and every one says I look as if I was seventeen, at least. And
then she told me grand gentlemen and officers didn't care what nonsense
the