really clever?" said her mother.

"Oh, decidedly," replied her daughter.

"Who," said her brother, looking up from his breakfast, "Hazlewood?
Certainly he is. He's considered one of the cleverest among the young
lawyers. Decidedly a man of talent."

Angila looked pleased.

"His father is a man of talent before him," observed Mrs. Mervale. "As
a family, the Hazlewoods have always been distinguished for ability.
This young man is ugly, you say, Angila?"

"Yes--" replied Angila, though with some hesitation. "Yes, he is ugly,
certainly--but he has a good countenance; and when he converses he is
better looking than I thought him."

"It's a pity he's conceited," said Mrs. Mervale, innocently; her
impression of the young man being taken from her daughter's previous
description of him. "Since he is really clever, it's a pity, for it's
such a drawback always."

"Conceited! I don't think he's conceited," said Angila, quite
forgetting her yesterday's opinion.

"Don't you? I thought it was you who said so, my dear," replied her
mother, quietly.

"Yes, I did once think so," said Angila, slightly blushing at her own
inconsistency. "I don't know why I took the idea in my head--but in
fact I talked more to him, and became better acquainted with him last
evening than I ever have before. When there is dancing, there is so
little time for conversation; and he really talks very well."

"He is engaged to Miss Morton, you say?" continued Mrs. Mervale.

"Well, I don't know," replied Angila, adding, as she remembered the
animated looks of admiration he had bestowed upon herself, "I doubt
it--that is the report, however."

"Hazlewood's no more engaged to Mary Morton than I am," said young
Mervale, carelessly. "Where did you get that idea?"

"Why every body says so, George," said Angila.

"Pshaw! every body's saying so don't make it so."

"But he's very attentive to her," replied Angila.

"Well, and if he is," retorted Mervale, "it does not follow that he
must be in love with her. You women do jump to conclusions, and make
up matches in such a way," he continued, almost angrily.

"I think she likes him," pursued Angila. "I think she would have him."

"Have him! to be sure she would," replied George, in the same tone;
not that he considered the young lady particularly in love with his
friend, but as if any girl might be glad to have him--for brothers are
very apt to view such cases differently from sisters, who refuse young