sight of which he could not avoid a slight start. It
was a _vignette_, very delicately and artistically executed, of a
girl's head, and as he looked, hardly daring to believe in such a
coincidence, he was almost certain that the pure brow, with the
tendrils of soft hair curling above it, the deep clear eyes, and the
mouth which for all its sweetness had the possibility of disdain in
its curves, were those of no other than the girl he had met months
ago, and had almost resigned himself never to meet again.

His voice trembled a little with excitement as he said 'May I ask the
name of this lady?'

'That is Mabel Langton. _I_ think she's perfectly lovely; don't you?
She was to have been at our dance the other night, and then you would
have seen her. But she couldn't come at the last moment.'

'I think I have met Miss Langton,' said Mark, beginning to see now all
that he had gained by learning this simple surname. 'Hasn't she a
little sister called Dorothy?'

'Dolly? Oh yes. Sweetly pretty child--terribly spoilt. I think she
will put dear Mabel quite in the shade by the time she comes out; her
features are so much more regular. Yes; I see you know _our_ Mabel
Langton. And now, _do_ tell me, Mr. Ashburn, because of course you can
read people's characters so clearly, you know, what do _you_ think of
Mabel, really and truly?'

Miss Featherstone was fond of getting her views on the characters of
her friends revised and corrected for her by competent male opinion,
but it was sometimes embarrassing to be appealed to in this way, while
only a very unsophisticated person would permit himself to be entirely
candid, either in praise or detraction.

'Well, really,' said Mark, 'you see, I have only met her once in my
life.'

'Oh, but that must be quite enough for _you_, Mr. Ashburn! And Mabel
Langton is always such a puzzle to me. I never can quite make up my
mind if she is really as sweet as she seems. Sometimes I fancy I have
noticed--and yet I can't be sure--I've heard people say that she's
just the least bit, not exactly conceited, perhaps, but too inclined
to trust her own opinion about things and snub people who won't agree
with her. But she isn't, is she? I always say that is _quite_ a wrong
idea about her. Still perhaps---- Oh, wouldn't you like to know Mr.
Caffyn? He is very clever and amusing, you know, and has just gone on
the stage, but he's not as good there as we all thought he would be.
He's coming this way now