"Now, Everard, I'm going to have a party on the fifth," said Emily, "and
I want you to bring some of the students, and I should like very much to
have tall, handsome ones, and none of your little 'ugly mugs.' I want
particularly that nice Mr. Elliott you introduced to me the other day."

"I do not choose my friends merely for their appearance, and Elliott is
not one of the students," returned Everard.

"Never mind who he is, I want him to come."

"I will ask him if he is in town; but I can't come, I am altogether too
busy."

"Nonsense, Everard, you only say that to vex me. I mean you to come,
that's pos'. Isn't he provoking, Isabel?"

"Perhaps his business is as important as it was that Christmas," said
Isabel, quietly.

Everard looked up quickly from his book, but Isabel was fully employed
with her tatting.

"What do you know about my engagements at that time?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing; only, perhaps, you can as easily put aside your work as
you did then."

"How do you know that it was so easy?" he inquired.

"Only from appearances."

"Appearances are often deceitful."

"Very."

Again the rapid glance of inquiry, but he could make nothing of her
placid countenance; and the single word "very," it must have been his
own imagination that gave significance to the very decided manner in
which she had uttered it, or did she, indeed, see through his assumed
indifference?

"You speak as though you had some experience," he said.

Isabel crimsoned, for she felt very guilty.

"Do you try to appear different to what you are in reality?" he
inquired.

"Do you?"

"Why do you ask?" he said.

"Why do you?" she retorted.

"Isabel, Isabel! the carriage will be here in five minutes," interposed
Emily, "make haste and put your things on."

The fifth came in due course, and Mr. Elliott with it. "Let me introduce
to you a partner," said Emily, taking him up to Isabel.

"We have known each other too long to need an introduction, have we not,
Isabel?" he said pleasantly. Then turning to Emily he added, "Thanks,
Mrs. Mornington, for an unexpected pleasure."

Everard, who was near by, heard him call her by her Christian name, and
saw the warm welcome accorded him, and the evident pleasure the meeting
caused Isabel. He was furiously jealous, and walked away intensely
disgusted.

"You are a stranger here, are you not?" asked Emily.

"Oh, quite."

"Then I leave you in Isabel's hands."

"Could not be in bette