lia had taken her
money; it was of silver.

"Why, ma'am," said he, "since you've taken such a fancy to the piece, if
you've a mind to make up the remainder of the money, I will take this
here little box, if you care to part with it."

Now this box was a keepsake from Leonora to Cecilia. "No," said Cecilia
hastily, blushing a little, and stretching out her hand to receive it.

"Oh, Miss!" said he, returning it carelessly, "I hope there's no
offence; I meant but to serve you, that's all. Such a rare piece of
china-work has no cause to go a begging," added he, putting the Flora
deliberately into the case; then turning the key with a jerk, he let it
drop into his pocket, and lifting up his box by the leather straps, he
was preparing to depart.

"Oh, stay one minute!" said Cecilia, in whose mind there had passed a
very warm conflict during the pedlar's harangue. "Louisa would so like
this Flora," said she, arguing with herself; "besides, it would be so
generous in me to give it to her instead of that ugly mandarin; that
would be doing only common justice, for I promised it to her, and she
expects it. Though, when I come to look at this mandarin, it is not even
so good as hers was; the gilding is all rubbed off, so that I absolutely
must buy this for her. O yes, I will, and she will be so delighted! and
then every body will say it is the prettiest thing they ever saw, and
the broken mandarin will be forgotten forever."

Here Cecilia's hand moved, and she was just going to decide: "O! but
stop," said she to herself; "consider Leonora gave me this box, and it
is a keepsake; however, now we have quarreled, and I dare say that she
would not mind my parting with it; I'm sure that I should not care if
she was to give away my keepsake the smelling bottle, or the ring which
I gave her; so what does it signify; besides, is it not my own, and have
I not a right to do what I please with it?"

At this dangerous instant for Cecilia, a party of her companions opened
the door; she knew that they came as purchasers, and she dreaded her
Flora's becoming the prize of some higher bidder. "Here," said she,
hastily putting the box into the pedlar's hand, without looking at it;
"take it, and give me the Flora." Her hand trembled, though she snatched
it impatiently; she ran by, without seeming to mind any of her
companions--she almost wished to turn back.

Let those who are tempted to do wrong by the hopes of future
gratification, or the pr