"That is very unlike this," she remarked. "Well," said Octavia, "I should think that, after all, this might be nicer." Which was very civil. Lucia glanced around again--this time rather stealthily--at Lady Theobald. Then she glanced back at Octavia. "But it isn't," she said, in an undertone. Octavia began to laugh. They were on a new and familiar footing from that moment. "I said 'it might,'" she answered. She was not afraid, any longer, of finding the evening stupid. If there were no young men, there was at least a young woman who was in sympathy with her. She said,-- "I hope that I shall behave myself pretty well, and do the things I am expected to do." "Oh!" said Lucia, with a rather alarmed expression, "I hope so. I--I am afraid you would not be comfortable if you didn't." Octavia opened her eyes, as she often did at Miss Belinda's remarks, and then suddenly she began to laugh again. "What would they do?" she said disrespectfully. "Would they turn me out, without giving me any tea?" Lucia looked still more frightened. "Don't let them see you laughing," she said. "They--they will say you are giddy." "Giddy!" replied Octavia. "I don't think there is any thing to make me giddy here." "If they say you are giddy," said Lucia, "your fate will be sealed; and, if you are to stay here, it really will be better to try to please them a little." Octavia reflected a moment. "I don't mean to _dis_please them," she said, "unless they are very easily displeased. I suppose I don't think very much about what people are saying of me. I don't seem to notice." "Will you come now and let me introduce Miss Egerton and her sister?" suggested Lucia hurriedly. "Grandmamma is looking at us." In the innocence of her heart Octavia glanced at Lady Theobald, and saw that she was looking at them, and with a disapproving air. "I wonder what that's for?" she said to herself; but she followed Lucia across the room. She made the acquaintance of the Misses Egerton, who seemed rather fluttered, and, after the first exchange of civilities, subsided into monosyllables and attentive stares. They were, indeed, very anxious to hear Octavia converse, but had not the courage to attempt to draw her out, unless a sudden query of Miss Lydia's could be considered such an attempt. "Do you like England?" she asked. "Is this England?" inquired Octavia. "It is a part of England, of course," replied the young lady, with calm literalness. "Then, of course, I like it very much," said Octavia, slightly waving her fan and smiling. Miss Lydia Egerton and Miss Violet Egerton each regarded her in dubious silence for a moment. They did not think she looked as if she were "clever;" but the speech sounded to both as if she were, and as if she meant to be clever a little at their expense. Naturally, after that they felt slightly uncomfortable, and said less than before; and conversation lagged to such an extent that Octavia was not sorry when tea was announced.