Grace, a little impatiently; "but, in my opinion, there is
far more in her sister's face: she has the beauty of expression, which
is far higher than that of form or coloring. I should say she has far
more character than either of them."

"They are none of them wanting in that," replied Archie, breaking up
his bread absently.

"No; that's just what I say: they are perfectly unlike other girls.
They are so fresh, and simple, and unconscious, that it is quite a
pleasure to be with them: but if I were to choose a friend from among
them I should certainly select Miss Phillis." And to this her brother
made no reply.

"They are all so pleased about Tuesday," interrupted Mattie, at this
point,--"Nan was so interested and amused about my grand tea-party, as
she called it. They have all promised to come, only Mrs. Challoner's
cold will not allow her to go out this severe weather. And then we met
Sir Harry, and I introduced him to Grace, and he will be delighted to
come too. I wish you would let me ask Miss Middleton and her brother,
Archie; and then we should be such a nice little party."

"How can you be so absurd, Mattie?" returned Archie, with a touch of
his old irritability. "A nice confusion you would make, if you were
left to arrange things! You know the colonel's one object in life is
to prevent his son from having any intercourse with the Challoners;
and you would ask him to meet them the first evening after his arrival
in the place."

"Is the father so narrow in his prejudices as that?" asked Grace, who
had quite forgotten her own shocked feelings when she first heard that
Archie was visiting a family of dressmakers on equal terms.

"Oh, dear! I forgot," sighed Mattie, taking her brother's blame
meekly, as usual. "How very stupid of me! But would you not like the
Cheynes or the Leslies invited, Archie? Grace ought to be introduced
to some of the best people."

"You may leave Grace to me," returned her brother, somewhat haughtily:
"I will take care of her introductions. As for your tea-party, Mattie,
I shall be much obliged if you will keep it within its first
limits,--just the Challoners and Sir Harry. If any one be asked, it
ought to be Noel Frere: he has rather a dull time of it, living alone
in lodgings,"--the Rev. Noel Frere being a college chum of Archie's,
who had come down to Hadleigh to recruit himself by a month or two of
idleness. "Perhaps we had better have him, as there will be so many
ladies."

"