tell her brother, on the drive home, that she had intimated to this agreeable young man, whose name she did not know, that, with her niece, she should be

as on the point of becoming connected with the family, and Mrs. Penniman had remarked

erine and her aunt had been sitting together in the cl

rtion, while his companion placed hims

arsh critic; she was easy to please

r feel vaguely fastidious; he sat looking at

on; her attention had fixed itself on the other side of the room; she w

erine herself and smiled, as if to show t

her place, to go and sit near them, w

oking eager; and, besides, it would not h

unt--how he came to have so much to say to Mrs. Penniman,

us, and above all she wondered; for Morris Townsend was an object on w

estic conveniences he meant to introduce into it; how Marian wanted a larger one, and Mrs. Almond reco

he said; "it's only f

hree or four ye

in New York--to move ev

ways get th

growing so quick--you've

up town--that's wh

be lonely, I'd go up there--righ

en years--they'd al

some neighbours--she doe

o be the first settler she h

by little; when we get tired

; it's a great advantage to have a new h

about every five years, and it's a gre

ep up with the new

le--to keep 'going higher'? That's the name of that

n to feel that this was not the way Mr. Morris Townsend had talked

piring kinsman beca

he was affected by his companion's presen

ring him, or I shouldn't

much to come; you kno

you first, but he said Mr

hat he says when he w

n seems to think

ad to see him,"

more about him; but she

before," she we

Townsen

d with you for over half

fore the o

the fir

round the world. He doesn't know many people here, bu

e?" said

ean all th

ike Mrs. Penniman!" and Arthur

him very much,"

ike him--he's

a foreigner," Ca

ng Townsend, in a tone which seemed to ind

atherine confessed,

generally brilliant

of this city are c

think they are too clever

too clever," said Cather

on't

e that call my co

me interest, and a feeling that if Morris Towns

n a moment she asked: "Now that he ha

, "if he can get

hing t

or other; so

who had never heard of a young man--o

s lookin

n't find

Catherine permitted

t mind," said

easy--he isn'

ery par

ave herself up for some moments to the contemp

into his business--his of

y father--he has

can't help

if she were his sister she

pleasant?" she a

e she's very respectabl

across to his cousi

re talking about

onversation with Mrs. Penniman,

up, as if he

can't return the compliment,"

Miss Sloper, it'

wonderfully well turned; but she was

ng at her and smiling; he p

nything to her; but even on these t

aid--when you go!" said Mrs. Pen

e felt almost as if they

an have said? He looked at her still, in spite

h you," he said, "and t

coming another time; a little pre

what your aunt wi

r which Catherine, with her blush still lingering, dir

ed to no jocular device--to no affectation of the belie

y you would tell

at her all over, and gave a twist to the knot of ribbon in her neck

was seri

what he t

't say s

ft me to

good g

ean a-cou

dred times more polite to a person who has no longer ex

e." And Mrs. Penniman gave her

e very grac

ared--she wa

you," she said; "h

does; more t

d him all

red Catherine, as if this

t stranger--we

e, modesty in the

no account of it; she spoke e

you know very well t

!" Catherine could

dmired him--though this did not

heard the sound of her voice--took that sort of interest in her that was

ss brain of Aunt Lavinia, whom every one k