vilities, she withdrew to an ottoman near an open
glass door, where she was immediately joined by Mr. Bruce, who, seating
himself in an indolent attitude upon the upper row of a flight of steps
which led from the window to the garden, commenced conversation with
her.

Mr. Bruce--the gentleman who, some years before, wore a velvet
smoking-cap, and took afternoon naps in the grass--had recently returned
from Europe, and, glorifying in the renown acquired from a moustache, a
French tailor, and the possession of a handsome property in his own
right, now viewed himself with more complacency than ever.

"So you've been in Boston all day, Miss Flint?"

"Yes, nearly all day."

"Didn't you find it distressingly warm?"

"Somewhat so."

"I tried to go in to attend to some business that mother was anxious
about, and even went down to the depot; but I had to give it up."

"Were you overpowered by the heat?"

"I was."

"How unfortunate!" remarked Gertrude, in a half-compassionate,
half-ironical tone of voice.

Mr. Bruce looked up, to judge from her countenance whether she were
serious or not; but there being little light in the room, on account of
the warmth of the evening, he could not decide the question, and
therefore replied, "I dislike the heat, Miss Gertrude, and why should I
expose myself to it unnecessarily?"

"Oh, I beg your pardon; I thought you spoke of important business."

"Only some affair of my mother's. Nothing I felt any interest in, and
she took the state of the weather for an excuse. If I had known that you
were in the cars, as I have since heard, I should certainly have
persevered, in order to have had the pleasure of walking down Washington
Street with you."

"I did not go down Washington Street."

"But you would have done so with a suitable escort," suggested the young
man.

"If I had gone out of my way for the sake of accompanying my escort, the
escort would have been a very doubtful advantage," said Gertrude,
laughing.

"How very practical you are, Miss Gertrude! Do you mean to say that,
when you go to the city, you always have a settled plan of operations,
and never swerve from your course?"

"By no means. I trust I am not difficult to influence when there is a
sufficient motive."

The young man bit his lip. "Then you never act without a motive; pray,
what is your motive in wearing that broad-brimmed hat when you are at
work in the garden?"

"It is an old habit, adopted some years a