at Mr. Erwyn.

"O vulgarity!" said Lady Allonby, recovering her somewhat rumpled dignity,
"the sweet child is yet unpolished. But, I suppose, we may regard the
matter as settled?"

"Yes," said Mr. Erwyn, "I think, dear lady, we may with safety regard the
matter as settled."

"Dorothy is of an excitable nature," she observed, and seated herself upon
the divan; "and you, dear Mr. Erwyn, who know women so thoroughly, will
overlook the agitation of an artless girl placed in quite unaccustomed
circumstances. Nay, I myself was affected by my first declaration,"'

"Doubtless," said Mr. Erwyn, and sank beside her. "Lord Stephen was very
moving."

"I can assure you," said she, smiling, "that he was not the first."

"I' gad," said he, "I remember perfectly, in the old days, when you were
betrothed to that black-visaged young parson--"

"Well, I do not remember anything of the sort," Lady Allonby stated; and
she flushed.

"You wore a blue gown," he said.

"Indeed?" said she.

"And--"