so anxious was she for Flora to tell her the
locality of her treasure.

"There she is," said Meta at last. "George is fixing that branch of
evergreen for her."

"Flora! I did not know her," cried each sister amazed; while Mary added,
"Oh, how nice she looks!"

It was the first time of seeing her in the white muslin, and broad chip
hat--which all the younger saleswomen of the bazaar had agreed to wear.
It was a most becoming dress, and she did, indeed, look strikingly
elegant and well dressed. It occurred to Ethel, for the first time, that
Flora was decidedly the reigning beauty of the bazaar--no one but Meta
Rivers could be compared to her, and that little lady was on so small
a scale of perfect finish, that she seemed fit to act the fairy, where
Flora was the enchanted princess.

Flora greeted her sisters eagerly, while Meta introduced her brother--a
great contrast to herself, though not without a certain comeliness,
tall and large, with ruddy complexion, deep lustreless black eyes, and
a heavy straight bush of black moustache, veiling rather thick lips.
Blanche reiterated inquiries for her watch-guard.

"I don't know,"--said Flora. "Somewhere among the rest."

Blanche was in despair.

"You may look for it," said Flora, who, however hurried, never failed in
kindness, "if you will touch nothing."

So Blanche ran from place to place in restless dismay, that caused Mr.
George Rivers to ask what was the matter.

"The guards! the guards!" cried Blanche; whereupon he fell into a fit of
laughter, which disconcerted her, because she could not understand him,
and made Ethel take an aversion to him on the spot.

However, he was very good-natured; he took Blanche's reluctant hand, and
conducted her all along the stall, even proceeding to lift her up where
she could not command a view of the whole, thus exciting her extreme
indignation. She shook herself out when he set her down, surveyed her
crumpled muslin, and believed he took her for a little girl! She ought
to have been flattered when the quest was successful, and he insisted
on knowing which was the guard, and declared that he should buy it. She
begged him to do no such thing, and he desired to know why--insisting
that he would give five shillings--fifteen--twenty-five for that one!
till she did not know whether he was in earnest, and she doing an injury
to the bazaar.

Meantime, the hour had struck, and Flora had placed Mrs. Hoxton in a
sheltered spot, where s