“I don’t know. It’s a mesmeric sympathy, I suppose,” replied Emma, smiling, “with which I am endowed. Alice was laughing at me just as you came in, for putting so much faith in my feelings. But you see, Alice,” she said looking at her cousin, “that my impressions are quite worth your anticipations. Alice,” she continued, addressing Mrs. Gardiner, “has been watching the clouds, thinking no one would take pity on us this morning; but I knew better.” And Emma again looked at her cousin with an expression of amusement that Alice, knowing what she meant, could not respond to. Being embarrassed between truth and civility, she made a slight and rather cold reply, which added considerably to Emma’s mirth. “Is Mrs. Percival at home?” inquired Mrs. Gardiner, presently; and as she spoke, she rather turned to Alice, who replied,— “Yes, I believe so.” “No,” said Emma. “Alice, she went out some time ago.” “It’s an unpleasant day for her to be out,” remarked Mrs. Gardiner, fixing her piercing eyes upon Emma with a very incredulous stare. “She has gone to see old Mrs. Haight,” replied Emma. “She is quite ill, you know.” “If she does not return soon, she will be caught in the rain,” pursued Mrs. Gardiner, who had heard the story of “mamma’s having gone to Mrs. Haight’s” too often, to put implicit faith in it; “it was sprinkling as I came in.” “Is it?” said Emma. “She will probably stay and dine there, then. Mamma has not been there for some time, and so she will probably now ‘make a day on’t.’” Mrs. Gardiner had nothing more to say on the subject; so the conversation turned to other things. “By the way, Emma,” she said, presently, “did you get a hat the other morning? I left you, I believe, at Dudevant’s.” “Oh, yes, I have one,” replied Emma. “Do let me see it,” said Mrs. Gardiner, who took an intense interest in the subject of dress. Emma rung, and had her bandbox brought down. Mrs. Gardiner eyed the bonnet suspiciously, as Emma presented it to her, and said,— “Who made it, Emma?” “It’s a French one,” replied Emma, promptly. “Where did you get it?” pursued Mrs. Gardiner. “At Dudevant’s,” said Emma, in the same decided manner. “At Dudevant’s?” repeated Mrs. Gardiner, looking full at Emma. “Why I was there at the opening—I did not see this hat there.” “It was in one of the cases,” replied Emma. “Oh—!” said Mrs. Gardiner. The manner was as if ‘that may be.’ “I did not look in the cases,” she added. “And what did Dudevant ask you for that hat, Emma?” “That’s between me and my conscience,” replied Emma, laughing. “I never tell Dudevant’s prices.” “She is an extortionate creature,” said Mrs. Gardiner; and there the subject dropped. “Well, Emma,” said she, after some time, “if you think your mother will not be at home to dinner, there’s no use in my waiting for her, I suppose.”