recognize,--Susy, whom you have not seen since she was a child."

A quick flush rose to Clarence's cheek. The group smiled at this evident
youthful confession of some boyish admiration. But Clarence knew that
his truthful blood was merely resenting the deceit his lips were sealed
from divulging. He did not dare to glance at Susy; it added to the
general amusement that the young girl was obliged to present herself.
But in this interval she had exchanged glances with Mary Rogers, who had
rejoined the group, and she knew she was safe. She smiled with gracious
condescension at Clarence; observed, with the patronizing superiority
of age and established position, that he had GROWN, but had not greatly
changed, and, it is needless to say, again filled her mother's heart
with joy. Clarence, still intoxicated with Mrs. Peyton's kindliness,
and, perhaps, still embarrassed by remorse, had not time to remark the
girl's studied attitude. He shook hands with her cordially, and then,
in the quick reaction of youth, accepted with humorous gravity the
elaborate introduction to Mary Rogers by Susy, which completed this
little comedy. And if, with a woman's quickness, Mrs. Peyton detected a
certain lingering glance which passed between Mary Rogers and Clarence,
and misinterpreted it, it was only a part of that mystification into
which these youthful actors are apt to throw their mature audiences.

"Confess, Ally," said Peyton, cheerfully, as the three young people
suddenly found their tongues with aimless vivacity and inconsequent
laughter, and started with unintelligible spirits for an exploration of
the garden, "confess now that your bete noir is really a very manly as
well as a very presentable young fellow. By Jove! the padres have made a
Spanish swell out of him without spoiling the Brant grit, either!
Come, now; you're not afraid that Susy's style will suffer from HIS
companionship. 'Pon my soul, she might borrow a little of his courtesy