"But what excites this feeling?" asked Charles with
a smile.

"What? why sympathy--and a knowledge of each
other's good qualities."

"Then you think Miss Miller has more good qualities
than Katherine Emmerson," said Weston.

"When did I ever say so?" cried Julia in surprise.

"I infer it from your loving her better, merely,"
returned the young man with a little of Miss
Emmerson's dryness.

"It would be difficult to compare them," said Julia
after a moment's pause. "Katherine is in the world,
and has had an opportunity of showing her merit;
that Anna has never enjoyed. Katherine is certainly
a most excellent girl, and I like her very much; but
there is no reason to think that Anna will not prove
as fine a young woman as Katherine, when put to
the trial."

"Pray," said the young lawyer with great gravity,
"how many of these bosom, these confidential
friends can a young woman have at the same
time?"

"One, only one--any more than she could have two