"O, pardon me; yes, I believe I was present."

"I hope I have failed in no act of politeness, Miss Bel," said De
Forrest, a little stiffly.

"I have no complaints to make. Indeed, I have fared well, considering
that one is sometimes worse than a crowd."

"Nonsense!" said Lottie, petulantly; and the young man tried not
to appear annoyed.

The sleigh now dashed in between rustic gate-posts composed of rough
pillars of granite; and proceeding along an avenue that sometimes
skirted a wooded ravine, and again wound through picturesque groupings
of evergreens, they soon reached a mansion of considerable size,
which bore evidence of greater age than is usual with the homes in
our new world.

They had hardly crossed the threshold into the hall before they
were hospitably welcomed by a widowed lady, whose hair was slightly
tinged with gray, and by her eldest daughter.

The greetings were so cordial as to indicate ties of blood, and
the guests were shown to their rooms, and told to prepare for an
early dinner.

In brief, Mrs. Marchmont, the mistress of the mansion, had gratified
her daughter's wish (as she did all her fancies) by permitting her
to invite a number of young friends for the Christmas holidays.
Both mother and daughter were fond of society, and it required no