At this moment, the beautiful little twins, now between four and five years old, were ushered in. After speaking to mamma, papa, grandmamma, &c. they took up their usual station, one at each side of Edmund, who helped them to fruit, ice, &c. Indeed he had so many requisitions of attention from both young ladies, and generally at one and the same moment, that he proved himself to have no mean talent for gallantry, in being able to turn with sufficient quickness from one to the other. "Why, my little pupil will learn to be quite an accomplished ladies' man," observed Mr. Jackson, aside to Mrs. Montgomery. "Then will the list of his accomplishments be complete!" said our old friend the doctor, who happened to catch the words, though across the table; "for I understand you are teaching him everything--absolutely everything! In short, erecting, on the substratum of ancient literature, an elegant structure, adorned with all the modern additions lately made to science, and inhabited by the muses!" "Why," said Mr. Jackson, who always answered seriously, however foolish the speech addressed to him; "I could not feel satisfied in communicating to a mind like Edmund's, mere dry learning: he already shows a sensibility to what I call the poetry of nature, and indeed of everything, which quite delights me." A young lady, beside whom Henry sat speaking at the same time to her neighbour, observed, that the little beau had quite enough to do. "It is not every gentleman who can take as good care of even one lady," she added, with a laugh. Henry's attention thus aroused, (for something had thrown him into a reverie,) he perceived that the lady's plate was quite vacant. He started, apologized, and now heaped upon it every kind of fruit; making, at the same time, so many pretty speeches, that the young lady began to suspect that love, and that for herself, must have caused his absence of manner. Henry now appeared determined to be quite gay, and even full of frolic: and the young lady, restored to perfect good-humour, seemed highly amused by his efforts. Edmund, and his two little ladies, were on the other side of Henry; Julia the nearest to him: whenever she looked away, he stole the fruit off her plate; and laughed much, in unison with his young lady, at her look of innocent astonishment, when she turned about; and at her instant application to Edmund, to get her more fruit; which, at the next opportunity, Henry would again steal. At length he was discovered; and Julia, without condescending to remonstrate, turned her shoulder as much as possible to him, and took better care of her plate; which she pushed with both hands quite close to Edmund's.