Each lady repaired to her toilet; the diamond bandeau and the new sleeve drove away all thoughts of the Douglases.

"And awful Beauty put on all her arms."

CHAPTER XVI.

"Fair maids and well-dressed youths around her shone, But every eye was fixed on her alone."

POPE.

The party was assembled in the drawingroom, waiting the announcement of dinner. Augusta, in the pride of youth and loveliness, was too much taken up with her dress and her charms to heed the assumed superiority of the Misses Douglas, who were formally seated at the tea-table, where Miss Tibby presided with solemn dignity.

"As you are anxious to hear the overture, Miss Tibby," said old Lindsay, "you had better order the carriage when you please, and send it back for us."

"We canna manage without a beau, cou

sin. Ah! Miss Douglas, do ye remember you o' Donald o' the Brae ?"

"I'm na like to forget him, Miss Tibby; puir dear Donald! Indeed we're na used to go to public places with na escort; in Edinbro' it was a fight wi' the men who should attend us," said Grizzy, angrily stirring her

tea.

"At least, it would be a great novelty to go without a beau," said Babie, shaking her auburn curls.

"Well, then, as soon as possible I will hasten over dinner, and have the honour of attending you, ladies," said old Lindsay.

66

Na, na, cousin; where's Mr. Grunter? Dinna you inconvenience yoursel."

"Wha's Mr. Grunter?" asked Grizzy; "it's a queer name eno'; I never heard of the family."

But at this moment in came Mr. Grunter. He had arrived in an omnibus from the British Museum, and had brought with him one of his new cronies, who certainly rivalled in appearance any or all of the curiosities exhi

bited there shaggy, dusty, and deformed, but with piercing eyes, and the look of selfsufficiency of a man of shrewd and available talent, not of real genius.

However, he had appeared in print-he was a public character and it was almost with reverence that Grunter introduced his friend, Mr. Fitzcribb. He had taken the liberty of inviting him to dinner, and of offering him a seat in the opera-box, Mr. Lindsay having said he might use that privilege with any friend of his, and Mr. Fitzcribb being very curious to hear the new singer.

Mr. Lindsay welcomed him most heartily, Mrs. Lindsay tried to follow his example, Augusta turned pale with mortification, Annie was seized with an irrepressible fit of laughter, and Ellen drew near Augusta to console her under this new trial.

"Wha are the Fitzcribbs?" asked Miss Grizzy, in an audible whisper, of old Lindsay. "I never heard of the family."

"Oh! it's a very old and numerous family, well known among the literary circles, madam," replied Mr. Lindsay, smiling.

"And Grunter? that's a new name to me."

"Grunter! the Grunters are coeval with the tower of Babel, madam. The Grunters are a very numerous family, indeed."

" I

"Live and learn, sir," said Grizzy, who piqued herself on being a genealogist. never heard of them before."

Here dinner was announced. Miss Grizzy, who did not approve either of Mr. Grunter or Mr. Fitzcribb as an escort, proposed to Miss Tibby that they should repair as soon as possible to the opera. Miss Tibby, decked in the "wee bit muslin ornament of her ain devising," agreed; Miss Babie was in high spirits, and was frequently reminded by Grizzy of what was, and what was na becoming to a lassie o' the Douglas family; and the elegant equipage of Mr. Lindsay deposited at the entrance of the Opera House the most outré party that ever crossed that threshold. But let Beauty hang her head abashed-that box had never been the mark of so many opera-glasses, the object of so much attention before. Miss