p for a moment by a sad smile, and he
replies:

"I will come, madam--if I have courage," he murmurs, turning away.

"You must; we shall have a merry day, I think. What a fine assembly!"

"Very gay."

"Oh, there's Jenny----"

"A friend?"

"Oh, yes!"

And while this conversation proceeds, Jacques is talking with Lucy. He
interrupts himself in the middle of a sentence, to bow paternally to a
young lady who has just entered.

"Good evening, my dear Miss Merryheart," he says.

"Oh, sir! that is not my name," says little Martha, laughing.

"What is?"

"Martha."

"And are you not desirous of changing it?"

The girl laughs.

"Say, for Mrs. Jacques?"

"Oh!" cries Martha, with a merry glance and a pleasant affectation of
reserve, "that is too public."

"The fact is," replies Jacques, smiling, "you are looking so lovely,
that I could not help it."

"Oh, sir!" says the girl blushing, but delighted. Which expression
makes her companion--a youthful gentleman called Bathurst--frown with
jealousy.

Lucy is admiring the child, when she finds herself saluted by Sir
Asinus, who has made her acquaintance some time since.

"A delightful evening, Miss Mowbray," says that worthy; "and I find
you admiring a very dear friend of mine."

"Who is that, sir?" says Lucy, smiling.

"Little Miss Martha."

"She is your friend?"

"Are you not?" says Sir Asinus, bowing with great devotion to Martha;
"you caught me this morning, you know."

"Oh no, sir! you caught me!"

"Indeed!" cried Sir Asinus; "I thought 'twas the lady's part!"

And he relishes his joke so much and laughs so loud, that the girl
discovers her mistake and blushes, which increases her fresh beauty a
thousand-fold.

Sir Asinus heaves a sigh, and contemplates a declaration immediately.
He asks her hand for a quadrille instead.

"Oh, yes, sir!"

Whereupon Bathurst revolves gloomy thoughts of revenge in the depths
of his soul.

Sir Asinus, seeing his rival's moodiness, smiles; but this smile
disappears like a sunbeam. He sees Doctor Small approaching, and turns
to flee.

In doing so, he runs up against and treads on the toes of Mr. Jack
Denis, who laughs, and bowing to Lucy, presses toward her and takes
his place at her side.

Sir Asinus makes his way through the crowd, paying his respects to
every body.

He arrives, at length, at the door of the side room where the devotees
of cards are busy at tictac. He is soon seated at one of the tables b