t was her
first party and she knew Archie would be critical; but Grace proved
herself a useful ally.

In spite of her efforts to keep in the background and leave Mattie in
her position as mistress of her brother's house, she felt herself
becoming insensibly its presiding spirit.

Archie was tolerably good-natured to Mattie; but the habits of a
lifetime were too strong for him, and he still snubbed and repressed
her at intervals. Mattie felt herself of no importance now that Grace
had come: her duties were usurped before her eyes. Archie made a fresh
demand on her forbearance every day.

"Why cannot you keep to the housekeeping, and let Grace do the schools
and visitings?" he said, once. "It must come to her by and by, when
you are gone; and I want her to begin as soon as possible. It will not
do to let her think she has come too soon," implying that good taste
should lead Mattie to resign of her own account.

Poor Mattie! she had many a good cry in secret before that Tuesday.
She could hardly help feeling pained to see how all-in-all those two
were to each other, and the glad eagerness Grace threw into her work,
knowing the reward of commendation she would reap. "It must be so
strange never to be snubbed or scolded,--to do everything right,"
Mattie thought.

Grace felt very sorry for her, and petted her a good deal. The dark
little face had always a pained wistfulness on it now that touched
her. She spoke kindly of Mattie to her brother on all possible
occasions.

"I think Mattie is so generous in giving up to me as she does," she
observed, as Archie joined her in the drawing-room in expectation of
their guests. Mattie had not yet made her appearance. She had been
lighting the wax candles and trimming a refractory lamp that refused
to burn, and had just run past her brother with blackened fingers and
hot, tired face.

"Oh, yes, she is good enough," he returned, indifferently, as he
straightened a crooked candle; "but I wish she would not always be
late. She has not begun to dress, and it is the time we appointed for
the Challoners to come. Of all things I hate unpunctuality and fuss,
and Mattie is always so fussy."

Grace's conscience pricked her. "I am afraid I left her too much to
do," she said, penitently. "Phillis asked me to go for a walk with
them; but I ought not to have left her. I will go and help her now."

But Archie objected:

"No, no; let her be. You must not leave me alone to receive them. Ho