and being mickle curious to hear the new singer, I've taken the liberty of offering them a place in our opera-box. I've had no scruple, as I hear you've engaged the adjoining box too, to accommodate a large party. I'm sure it's little eno' I avail mysel o' the privilege o' going there at a', or of taking a friend."

Mr. Lindsay, who delighted in the ridiculous, expressed the greatest pleasure at this unexpected announcement. Mrs. Lindsay thought of the exclusive petit souper, and could scarcely echo his words; and Augusta, unable to repress tears of mortification and anger, hastened from the room. Ellen alone came gracefully and cordially forth to do the honours, and to make the strange beings feel at home-but that they already did. With the blood of a long succession of old Highland chiefs in their veins, they were a proud and warlike pair, and considered that, in accepting Tibby's invitation, they were far more honouring than honoured.

"I've taen an early dinner wi' my friends,

cousin," said Tibby, "so I sall just leave it to you to amuse them, while I mak my ain toilet; and bid Annie prepare an early cup o' tea, for we'll na like to lose the overture."

"It's weel to have one's pennyworth for one's penny," said the elder lady, taking out of a very old-fashioned work-bag a roll of scarlet lambswool, and proceeding to net; "and whoever pays the penny, it's a purty penny, I doot, and weel to mak the most of it. Will you excuse my taking out my wee bit wurk, and making mysel at hame, in my auld schoolfellow's hame," she said, unrolling a huge comforter and brandishing an immense netting-needle and mash, and fastening the loop to a long foot in a pointed blue kid "I never lose a moshoe with a high heel. ment, if I can help it; time lost canna be recalled. Babie, I hope you brought your

66

work-bag; yer too wastefu' with your time, lassie."

"I'm just going with Miss Tibby to her

dressing-room; my hair's got a wee bit out o' order," said the junior damsel. "I'd be the better of settling mysel a little."

And she took Tibby's arm and left the room.

"If you've ony thing particular to do, miss," said Grizzy, proudly, to Ellen, whose politeness induced her to stay and atone for Augusta's absence and Mrs. Lindsay's silent dismay, "dinna let me impede ye; I ken weel eno' that on a gala-night like this, young lassies have a warld o' gimcracks to settle; so leave me, my dear, when you like; I'm na without resources in mysel, and never less alane than when alane. I'm a true Douglas for that."

Here Mrs. Lindsay, awed by the pride and assumption of the condescending old spinster, came forth and tried to faire l'aimable; but Miss Douglas knew from Miss Tibby that she was just naebody at a'; an upstart, who had had a purty face; and that was na very remarkable She had unbent a little to Ellen Lindsay, but she could not unbend to a woman who had been a "Gubbs."

now.

After a little while, Ellen, Mr. Lindsay, and her mother, were obliged to retire to make their toilet, and left Miss Grizzy to the society of Screech, whom she resembled in feature, and the spaniels, who, being thorough-bred Blenheims, she considered of a very superior race to a ci-devant Gubbs.

They found Augusta pacing her room in impatient dismay.-To be seen at the opera with those old quizzes! What would the Honourable Mr. Sparkleton think! how Captain Dashington would sneer! how Riskwell would stare!

"What does that matter?" said Ellen, kindly. "Dear Augusta, don't make your eyes red with those silly tears, and you will look lovely enough to atone for a box full of quizzes."

"If it had been any other night, I would have staid away

66

Nay, that would have offended cousin, Tibby."

"How dared she bring those horrors?"
"Dared! she has as much right as we

have and I can tell you those horrors, as you call them, think us scarcely worthy to sit in their presence!"

"Oh, what shall I do! What will Sparkleton think!"

"Think! if he thinks at all, it will be what he never did before!"

"How Dashington will sneer, and Riskwell stare!"

"And what of that? they seldom do anything else."

"Oh, what shall I do?-and they will be at supper, too!"

"Do! why rouse yourself to a proper spirit-treat our uncle's guests with due attention-and, if you do so, no empty-headed coxcomb will presume to do otherwise. Look all the fops into nothing, if you see any symptom of insurrection, and I will be your aidde-camp. But I doubt the bravest of them venturing too far with that martial old giantess, Miss Grizzy Douglas."

Augusta smiled, and resolved to adopt so wise a counsel.