which, it seems, had failed to interest Stephen Grey, who was far
better pleased with the unassuming Alice, and who had paid the
haughty Eugenia no attention whatever, except, indeed, to plant
his patent leather boot upon one of her lace flounces, tearing it
half off, and leaving a sad rent, which could not well be mended.
This, then, was the cause of her wrath, which continued for some
time; when really wishing to talk over the events. of the evening,
she became a little more gracious, and asked Alice how she liked
_Mrs. Elliott_, who had unexpectedly arrived from New York.

"I was delighted with her," returned Alice; "she was such a
perfect lady. And hadn't she magnificent hair! Just the color of
Dora's" she added, glancing at the little cropped head, which had
been so suddenly divested of its beauty.

"It wasn't all hers, though," answered Eugenia, who invariably saw
and spoke of every defect. "I heard her telling Ella that she
bought a braid in Rochester as she came up. But what ails you?"
she continued, speaking now to Dora, whose eyes sparkled with some
unusual excitement and who replied--

"You said Mrs. Elliott, from New York. And that was the name of
the lady who was so kind to me. Oh, if I only thought it were she,
I'd----"

"Make yourself ridiculous, I dare say," interrupted Eugenia,
adding, that "there was more than one Mrs. Elliott in the world,
and she'd no idea that so elegant a lady as Mr. Hastings's sister
ever troubled herself to look after folks in such a miserable old
hovel as the one where Dora had lived."