said Miss Manning,
smiling.

Rose was highly excited at the idea of going to see the Japanese, whose
feats, as described by Mrs. Florence at the breakfast-table, had
interested her exceedingly. The prospect of sitting up till eleven in
the evening also had its charm, and she was quite too excited to eat
much dinner.

"Really," said Mrs. Clifton, "I quite envy you, Miss Manning. I tried to
get Mr. Clifton to buy tickets, but he hasn't done it."

"First time I heard of it," said her husband.

"You pay very little attention to what I ask,--I am aware of that," said
Mrs. Clifton, in an aggrieved tone.

"We'll go now, if you say so."

"We couldn't get any decent seats. When did you buy yours, Mr. Rushton?"

"This morning."

Mrs. Clifton, who was thoroughly selfish, hinted that probably Rose
wouldn't care about going, and that she should be glad to buy the
ticket, and accompany Rufus and Miss Manning; but this hint failed to be
taken, and she was forced unwillingly to stay at home.

To tell the truth, Miss Manning was scarcely less pleased than Rose at
the idea of going. Until recently she had been a poor seamstress,
earning scarcely enough to subsist upon, much less to pay for
amusements. Sometimes in the early evening she had passed the portals of
places of amusement, and wished that she were able to break the tedious
monotony of her daily life by entering; but it was quite out of the
question, and with a sigh she would pass on. Now she was very
differently situated, and her life was much pleasanter.

"Can I wear my new dress, Martha?" asked Rose.

"Yes, Rosy. It was fortunate that I got it finished to-day."

"And will you wear yours, too, Martha?"

"Yes, I think so," she said. "Rufus has bought us nice seats, and we
must look as well as we can."

When both were dressed, they surveyed themselves with satisfaction. Miss
Manning was not above the weakness, if it is a weakness, of liking to
appear well dressed, though she was not as demonstrative as Rose, who
danced about the room in high enjoyment.

When they were quite ready, Rufus came into the room. He had a pair of
kid gloves in his hand, which he twirled about in rather an embarrassed
way.

"I can't get the confounded things on, Miss Manning," he said. "I've
been trying for some time, but it's no go. The fact is, I never owned a
pair of kid gloves before. I'd enough sight rather go without any, but I
suppose, if I am going to sit in a fashionable se