accompany you as far as Mrs. Campbell's," said Mr.
Stuart. "I am going to call upon Miss Ella, whose acquaintance I
accidentally made last summer. Suppose you call too. You know her, of
course?" Mary replied that she did, and was about to speak of the
relationship between them, when Mr. Stuart abruptly changed the
conversation, and in a moment more they were at Mrs. Campbell's door.
Ella was so much delighted at again seeing Mr. Stuart, that she hardly
noticed her sister at all, and did not even ask her to remove her
bonnet. After conversing a while upon indifferent subjects, Mr. Stuart
asked Ella to play, saying he was very fond of music. But Ella, like
other fashionable ladies, "couldn't of course play any thing,--was
dreadfully out of practice, and besides that her music was all so
old-fashioned."

Mr. Stuart had probably seen such cases before, and knew how to manage
them, for he continued urging the matter, until Ella arose, and
throwing back her curls, sauntered to wards the piano, saying she
should be obliged to have some one turn the leases for her. Mr. Stuart
of course volunteered his services, and after a violent turning of the
music-stool by way of elevating it, and a turning back by way of
lowering it, Ella with the air of a martyr, declared herself ready to
play whatever Mr. Stuart should select, provided it were not "old."

A choice being made she dashed off into a spirited waltz, skipping a
good many notes, and finally ending with a tremendous crash. Fond as
Mr. Stuart was of music, he did not call for a repetition from her,
but turning to Mary asked if she could play.

Ella laughed aloud at the idea, and when Mary replied that she did
play a little, she laughed still louder, saying, "Why, _she_ can't
play, unless it's 'Days of Absence,' with one hand, or something of
that kind."

"Allow me to be the judge," said Mr. Stuart, and leading Mary to the
piano, he bade her play any thing she pleased.

Ida had been a faithful teacher, and Mary a persevering pupil, so that
whatever she played was played correctly and with good taste; at least
Mr. Stuart thought so, for he kept calling for piece after piece,
until she laughingly told him her catalogue was nearly exhausted, and
she'd soon be obliged to resort to the _scales!_

Ella looked on in amazement, and when Mary had finished playing,
demanded of her where she had learned so much, and who was her
teacher; adding that her _fingering_ was wretched; "but