id some one had come, I
thought at first I could not see them, but you are always welcome. How
have you been this long time, and why have you neglected me so, when you
know how I must feel the change from Louisville, where I was constantly
in society, to this dreary neighborhood?" and the lady lay back upon the
sofa, exhausted with and astonished at her own eloquence.

Mrs. Livingstone was quite delighted with her friend's unusual
cordiality, and seating herself in the large easy-chair, began to make
herself very agreeable, offering to bathe Mrs. Graham's aching head,
which kind offer the lady declined, bethinking herself of sundry gray
hairs, which a close inspection would single out from among her flaxen
tresses.

"Are your family all well?" she asked; to which Mrs. Livingstone replied
that they were, at the same time speaking of her extreme loneliness
since Mabel left them.

"Ah, you mean the little dark-eyed brunette, whom I saw with you at my
party. She was a nice-looking girl--showed that she came of a good
family. I think everything of that. I believe I'd rather Durward would
marry a poor aristocrat, than a wealthy plebeian--one whose family were
low and obscure."

Mrs. Livingstone wondered what she thought of her family, the
Livingstones. The Richards' blood she knew was good, but the Nichols'
was rather doubtful. Still, she would for once make the best of it, so
she hastened to say that few American ladies were so fortunate as Mrs.
Graham had been in marrying a noble man. "In this country we have no
nobility, you know," said she, "and any one who gets rich and into good
society, is classed with the first."

"Yes, I know," returned Mrs. Graham, "but in my mind there's a great
difference. Now, Mr. Graham's ancestors boast of the best blood of
South Carolina, while my family, everybody knows, was one of the first
in Virginia, so if Durward had been Mr. Graham's son instead of Sir
Arthur's, I should be just as proud of him, just as particular whom he
married."

"Certainly," answered Mrs. Livingstone, a little piqued, for there was
something in Mrs. Graham's manner which annoyed her--"certainly--I
understand you. I neither married a nobleman, nor one of the best
bloods of South Carolina, and still I should not be willing for my son
to marry--let me see--well, say 'Lena Rivers."

"'Lena Rivers !" repeated Mrs. Graham--"why, I would not suffer Durward
to look at her, if I could help it. She's of a h