prettiest and most elegant person here.'

'Laura might have higher praise,' said Philip, 'for hers is beauty of
countenance even more than of feature. If only--'

'If?' said Amy.

'Look round, Amy, and you will see many a face which speaks of intellect
wasted, or, if cultivated, turned aside from its true purpose, like the
double blossom, which bears leaves alone.'

'Ah! you forget you are talking to silly little Amy. I can't see all
that. I had rather think people as happy and good as they look.'

'Keep your child-like temper as long as you can--all your life,'
perhaps, for this is one of the points where it is folly to be wise.'

'Then you only meant things in general? Nothing about Laura?'

'Things in general,' repeated Philip; 'bright promises blighted or
thrown away--'

But he spoke absently, and his eye was following Laura. Amy thought he
was thinking of his sister, and was sorry for him. He spoke no more, but
she did not regret it, for she could not moralize in such a scene, and
the sight and the dancing were pleasure enough.

Guy, in the meantime, had met an Oxford acquaintance, who introduced him
to his sisters--pretty girls--whose father Mr. Edmonstone knew, but
who was rather out of the Hollywell visiting distance. They fell into
conversation quickly, and the Miss Alstons asked him with some interest,
'Which was the pretty Miss Edmonstone?' Guy looked for the sisters, as
if to make up his mind, for the fact was, that when he first knew Laura
and Amy, the idea of criticising beauty had not entered his mind, and
to compare them was quite a new notion. 'Nay,' said he at last, 'if you
cannot discover for yourselves when they are both before your eyes, I
will do nothing so invidious as to say which is _the_ pretty one. I'll
tell which is the eldest and which the youngest, but the rest you must
decide for yourself.'

'I should like to know them,' said Miss Alston. 'Oh! they are both very
nice-looking girls.'

'There, that is Laura--Miss Edmonstone,' said Guy, 'that tall young
lady, with the beautiful hair and jessamine wreath.'

He spoke as if he was proud of her, and had a property in her. The tone
did not escape Philip, who at that moment was close to them, with Amy
on his arm; and, knowing the Alstons slightly, stopped and spoke, and
introduced his cousin, Miss Amabel Edmonstone. At the same time Guy took
one of the Miss Alstons away to get some tea.

'So you knew my cousin at Oxford?' said Philip