"Well, he has a fine opportunity of comparing his two lady-loves together. Upon my word, I never saw a greater contrast. I wish Miss Wyllys had not accepted the invitation, though; she is enough to frighten one away from the whole set--and the rest are very pretty girls, the whole of them." "Can you point out Mr. Taylor?--Not the groom; I have seen him, of course; but his father." "Don't you know the boss? It is that tall, stiff-looking man, talking to Mrs. Stanley. You see he is trying to look very amiable." "Yes--that is he, is it? Much the sort of man I should have supposed him. And now, which is Mrs. Taylor?" "Mrs. Taylor--let me see; there she is, in grey satin and diamonds. I never saw her but once before in my life. She is a very quiet sort of a body, and keeps out of sight most of the time." "Very different from her daughter then, for Miss Taylor always put herself en evidence, I believe. If one don't see her, they are sure to hear her." "To be sure, Miss Taylor is all life and spirits. She is the most lively, animated girl I ever knew. By-the-bye, I think it an odd fancy in Hazlehurst to show himself here to-night; for there was a great fuss last winter, at the blowup--all the town was talking about it." "He is a very near connexion, you know; I suppose his absence would have been more remarked than his being here. Besides, if he was in love once, he has had time to get over it, in the last six months. He does not look much as if he wore the willow still." {"wore the willow" = grieved for the loss of a loved one} "Hazlehurst is very clever, I am told; I don't know him much, myself." "Oh, yes--very clever. But I am not a fair judge, perhaps; he is my brother's friend, and I may be prejudiced in his favour. How very warm it is! can't we find a seat near a window?" The gentleman offered his arm with alacrity, and the speakers moved away. The seats they had left were taken by Mrs. de Vaux and Colonel Stryker: the lady, a middle-aged woman, fashionably dressed; the gentleman, rather more than middle-aged in his appearance, and decidedly less so in his dress and manners. "Young Taylor is a handsome fellow, and looks the bride-groom very well!" exclaimed Mr. Stryker. "How these Taylors have pushed upwards; I never heard of them before I went to Europe this last time, five or six years ago." "That is just about the moment they first burst upon the horizon. Mr. Taylor seems determined to make up for lost time. He is very disagreeable to us ladies; but the gentlemen like him on account of his cleverness; they say he is a genius in all business matters." "To judge by his expression, the man seems ambitious of 'les succes de salon,' also. Where did he import his manners from, I wonder?--they have a sort of bright, new look, as if he had not yet worn the gloss off." {"les succes de salon" = drawing-room victories (French)} "Don't laugh at him;--he gives excellent dinners."