'?" said the naturalist,
smiling at her.

"You must presume not! -- after what you have heard," she
answered with abundant haughtiness.

"It is one mark of a good engineer to be a match for his
machinery," said Winthrop quietly.

It was said so coolly and simply that Elizabeth did not take
offence. She stood, rather cooled down and thoughtful, still
at the back of Mr. Herder's chair. Winthrop rose to take
leave, and Mr. Haye repeated his invitation.

"I will venture so far as to say I will come if I can, sir."

"I shall expect you," said the other, shaking his hand
cordially.

Mr. Herder went with his friend. Mr. Haye soon himself
followed, leaving the two ladies alone. Both sat down in
silence at the table; Elizabeth with a book, Miss Cadwallader
with her fancy work; but neither of them seemed very intent on
what she was about. The work went on lazily, and the leaves of
the book were not turned over.

"I wish I was Winthrop Landholm," said Rose at length.

"Why?" -- said her cousin, after a sufficient time had marked
her utter carelessness of what the meaning might have been.

"I should have such a good chance."

"Of what?" -- said Elizabeth dryly enough.

"Of a certain lady's favour, whose favour is not very easy to
gain."

"You don't care much for my favour," said Elizabeth.

"I should, if I were Winthrop Landholm."

"If you were he, you wouldn't get it, any more than you have
now."

"O no. I mean, I wish I were he and not myself, you know."

"You must think well enough of him. I am sure no possible
inducement could make me wish myself Mr. Satterthwaite, for a
moment."

"I don't care for Mr. Satterthwaite," said Rose coolly. "But
how Mr. Haye takes to him, don't he?"

"To whom?"

"Winthrop Landholm."

"I don't see how he shews it."

"Why, the way he was asking him to dinner."

"It is nothing very uncommon for Mr. Haye to ask people to
dinner."

"No, but such a person."

"What 'such a person'?"

"O, a farmer's boy. Mr. Haye wouldn't have done it once. But
that's the way he always comes round to people when they get
up in the world."

"This one hasn't got much up in the world yet."

"He is going to, you know. Mr. Herder says so; and President
Darcy says there are not two such young men seen in half a
century as he and his brother."

Elizabeth laid down her book and looked over at her companion,
with an eye the other just met and turned away from.

"Rose, -- how _dare_ you ta