ds.

The rooms filled; the heat became oppressive, and the mixed odors of
flowers, scents, and perspiring humanity, sickening. Some, unable to
bear it, trickled out of the room, and sat all down the stairs.

Rosa began to feel faint. Up came a tall, sprightly girl, whose pertness
was redeemed by a certain bonhomie, and said, "Mrs. Staines, I
believe? I am to make myself agreeable to you. That is the order from
headquarters."

"Miss Lucas," said Staines.

She jerked a little off-hand bow to him, and said, "Will you trust her
to me for five minutes?"

"Certainly." But he did not much like it.

Miss Lucas carried her off, and told Dr. Staines, over her shoulder, now
he could flirt to his heart's content.

"Thank you," said he dryly. "I'll await your return."

"Oh, there are some much greater flirts here than I am," said the ready
Miss Lucas; and whispering something in Mrs. Staines's ear, suddenly
glided with her behind a curtain, pressed a sort of button fixed to a
looking-glass door. The door opened, and behold they were in a delicious
place, for which I can hardly find a word, since it was a boudoir and
a conservatory in one: a large octagon, the walls lined from floor to
ceiling with looking-glasses of moderate width, at intervals, and with
creepers that covered the intervening spaces of the wall, and were
trained so as to break the outline of the glasses without greatly
clouding the reflection. Ferns, in great variety, were grouped in a
deep crescent, and in the bight of this green bay were a small table
and chairs. As there were no hot-house plants, the temperature was very
cool, compared with the reeking oven they had escaped; and a little
fountain bubbled, and fed a little meandering gutter that trickled away
among the ferns; it ran crystal clear over little bright pebbles and
shells. It did not always run, you understand; but Miss Lucas turned a
secret tap, and started it.

"Oh, how heavenly!" said Rosa, with a sigh of relief; "and how good of
you to bring me here!"

"Yes; by rights I ought to have waited till you fainted. But there is no
making acquaintance among all those people. Mamma will ask such crowds;
one is like a fly in a glue-pot."

Miss Lucas had good nature, smartness, and animal spirits; hence arose
a vivacity and fluency that were often amusing, and passed for very
clever. Reserve she had none; would talk about strangers, or friends,
herself, her mother, her God, and the last buffoon-s