"I had no idea that the Allenders kept such company. How
did you happen to be invited?"

"Mr. Allender is one of my father's oldest and most valued friends. I
called at his desire, and found both him and his family far above the
'common run' of people. I do not in the least wonder at the class of
persons I met at their house. I am sorry that you have been led so far
astray in your estimation of their characters. You never could have
known them well."

"Perhaps not," said Mrs. Minturn, in a subdued voice. "Did you hear us
asked for?" she ventured to add. "We were invited, as I mentioned, and
would have gone, but didn't expect to find any there with whom it would
be agreeable to associate."

This remark did not in the least improve the matter in the eyes of Mr.
Erskine, who now understood the Minturns rather better than before. A
feeling of repugnance took the place of his former friendly sentiments;
and in a briefer time than he had intended, he brought his visit to a
close, and bade them good morning.

What was now to be done? The Minturns had fallen into an error, which
must, if possible, be repaired. The Allenders were of far more
consequence than they had believed, and their estimation of them rose
correspondingly. A note of regret at not being able to attend the
party, in consequence of a previous engagement, was written, and this
enclosed in another note, stating that in consequence of the neglect of
a servant, it had not been delivered on the day before. Both were
despatched within half an hour after Mr. Erskine left the house.

On the day after, Mrs. Minturn and her daughter called at Mrs.
Allender's, and offered verbal regrets at not having been able to
attend the party.

"We wanted to come very much, but both Emeline and I were so much
indisposed, that the doctor said we mustn't think of going
out,"--forgetting at the moment the tenor of the note she had written
only the day before. But scarcely were the words out of her mouth, when
a glance of uneasy surprise from Emeline brought a recollection of this
fact, and caused the blood to mount to her face.

A sudden change in the manner of Mrs. Allender was conclusive evidence
that she, too, was laying side by side the two conflicting statements.

"But even," added Mrs. Minturn, in a voice that betrayed some
disturbance of mind, "if we had not been indisposed, a previously made
engagement would have been in the way of a pleasure that we shall
always regre