ure reigned.

Two-thirds of the company were young people, and Kitty McKenzie was one
of the merriest of the group, and apparently a great favorite, while it
could be readily seen that the attentions of Louis Hamblin were very
acceptable to her--her every look and smile, when conversing with him,
indicating that he was far more to her than an ordinary acquaintance.

When they arrived at their destination carriages were found to be in
waiting to take the party to Hazeldean, the residence of Mr. Wellington,
who was to entertain the company for the ensuing week.

A drive of a mile brought them to the fine estate, where an imposing
mansion stood in the middle of a beautiful park. The interior of the
dwelling was in perfect keeping with its exterior--luxury and beauty
prevailed on every hand, and it was really an ideal place in which to
entertain a numerous company.

The wide, mammoth hall ran the whole length of the house, while numerous
rooms opened into it, with wide doors sliding upward, so that almost the
whole of the lower floor could be made into one grand room. The floors
were of hard wood, and polished to the last degree of brightness, and
were, as Kitty McKenzie merrily remarked, while she executed a gay
pirouette on entering, "just capital for dancing."

The upper stories were equally spacious, and luxuriously furnished--it
really seemed like a great hotel, only far more home-like and
comfortable.

The guests were soon assigned to their apartments, and Mona was gratified
to find that, instead of being consigned to some remote corner of the
great house, she had a cozy room opening directly into the one occupied
by Mrs. Montague.

CHAPTER XV.

A GAY COMPANY AT HAZELDEAN.

The week that followed was one never to be forgotten. Such feasting and
merry-making, such excursions, and card parties, and dancing parties Mona
had never witnessed.

She had read of such scenes occurring in the great manor-houses of
England, and had often thought that she should like to witness something
of the kind; but she did not imagine that Americans had yet attained
the art of displaying such magnificent hospitality. It was a carnival,
indeed, from the evening of their arrival until the morning of their
departure.

It was the month of February, there was no snow on the ground, and the
weather was very mild and more like early spring, than winter, so that
every morning there was planned an excursion of some kind--either