for little girls to make themselves so conspicuous as your
morning walk has made you to-day?'

Some feeling of her own brought the blood to her cheek and
brow, vividly.

'I don't know what you call conspicuous, sir; only one person
found me. And if you think I lost myself in the fog on
purpose, Mr. Falkirk, you think me a much smaller girl than I
am!'

Mr. Falkirk smiled--a little, passing his hand very lightly
over the brow which did look certainly as if it had belonged
to a little girl not very long ago; but he said no more,
except to advise the young lady to eat a good breakfast.

Not to be conspicuous, however, from this day was beyond
little Miss Hazel's power, to whatever degree it might have
been within her wish. The house was at this time not yet
filled; but of all its indwellers, old and young, male and
female, higher and lower in the scale of society, every eye
and tongue was at her service; so far as being occupied with
her made it so. Every hand was at her service more literally.
Did not the very serving-men at table watch her eye? Was not
he the best fellow who could recommend the hottest omelet and
bring the freshest cakes to her hand? The young heiress, the
young mistress of fabulous acres, and 'such a beautiful old
place;' the new beauty, who bid fair to bewitch all the world
with hand and foot and gypsy eyes,--nay, the current all set
one way. Even old dowagers looked to praise, and even their