"And pray, if I may ask, what made it so very pleasant?" asked Harry Hazlehurst. "I should like to be initiated into the delights of a young ladies' boarding-school. Of course, they must be very different from the rude enjoyments of collegians." "Oh! it would take me a year, to tell you all about it." "I shall be most happy to listen all the evening. But, let me find you a chair, before you commence; you must be tired of standing," said Harry, with a view to taking a seat himself. "Me? Oh, no; I never sit down, at a party; I always stand. You lose half the fun, by sitting down." And, having secured Harry's attention, the half-fledged belle turned to another youth, within hailing distance. "Now, what do you think Mr. Hazlehurst has given me to do, for the next hour, Mr. Van Horne?" "I am sure, I don't know. Is it something very difficult? Listening to his pretty speeches, perhaps," said the other. "Oh dear, no! I don't believe Mr. Hazlehurst can make a tender speech; I don't believe he has got any heart," said Miss Adeline, looking an attempt at archness. "And, pray, what makes you think so, Miss Taylor? Do you judge from my savage expression?" "Well, perhaps, you have one;" said the young lady, looking up bewitchingly. "I suspect, though, you take very good care of it," "But this is not fair; you are abusing me, instead of giving us the delights of your school, as you promised." "Oh, I had forgotten that. But, I should think, you might guess what fun we have--a set of wild girls together." "How should I know anything about it? Pray, be more explicit." "Well, in the first place, we make a point of getting up an excitement, at least once a week." "Like our unruly spirits at college, you break the windows, and roll cannon-balls, I suppose." "How you talk! No, indeed. Our last excitement was about the coat of our Professor of Mathematics. It was such a quizzical cut, we told Mrs. A., it was morally impossible for us to attend to the lesson, and study the problems, as long as the man wore it." "It was unpardonable, in a professor of mathematics, to wear a coat that was not cut according to rule." "Now wasn't it? Well, you may be sure, we can always pitch upon something for an excitement, whenever we're in the humour for it. And then, we have secrets to tell about our beaux--and we quiz the new scholars--and we eat candy--and we torment Mrs. A-----; but, I shan't tell you any more, now; for I must go out on the piazza, and have a walk--it looks so sweet, out there. You shall have the rest of the story, if you'll come." And away tripped the young lady, followed, of course, by the gentlemen.