"Then she may be improved," said Mrs. Castleton, hopefully. "Not much of that," said Tom. "She is very well satisfied with herself, I imagine." "Oh, it's evident she's a public belle and beauty in her own set," said Emma. "She's full of airs and graces." Mrs. Castleton sighed. "It's a bad business, I am afraid," she said, mournfully. "No," said Tom, stoutly, "it's not pleasant, and that's all. The girl may make a very good wife, though she does dress badly. She looks amiable, and I dare say has sense enough." "It's not her dress only," persisted Emma, "but her manners are so bad." "Well, many a flirty girl has settled into a very respectable married woman," continued Tom. "Where have you seen her, Emma?" asked Mrs. Castleton. "Tom pointed her out to me one night at the theatre; and I have since seen her in the street frequently." "Then you do not know her at all?" continued Mrs. Castleton, with some surprise in her tone. "How, then, do you know any thing about her manners, Emma?" "It's not necessary to know her to know what her manners are," replied Emma. "One glance across the theatre is enough for that. She had two or three beaux with her--indeed, I believe she was there only with them--" "Her mother was with her, Emma," interposed Tom, decidedly. "Well," continued Emma, a little provoked at being set right, "she ought to have made her behave herself, then." "But how did she behave, Emma?" pursued Mrs. Castleton, who had been absent from the city during the rise and progress of this flirtation, and was now anxious for as much information as could be obtained on the subject. "Oh, laughing, and flirting, and shaking her long curls back, and looking up to their faces--perfectly disgusting!" Mrs. Castleton looked at her brother in the hopes of some amendment here on his part; but he only smiled, and shook his head, and said, "Pretty much so, Emma." "And then, dressed--oh, you never saw a girl so bedizzened!" "Strange!" said Mrs. Castleton. "that Harry should admire such a girl. He is generally rather critical--hates particularly to see you at all over-dressed, Emma. He never would admire Fanny Lewis, you know, because she had something of that manner. I wonder he should admire this girl." "Oh, it all depends very much upon the _clique_ in which a man sees a girl how she strikes him," said Tom. "Miss Dawson's manners are very much those of the girls around her, quite as good, if not better; then she is really handsome--moreover, very much admired, the belle of the set; and Harry's vanity is rather flattered, I suppose, by the preference she shows him." "You think, then, she likes him?" said Mrs. Castleton. "I know nothing more about it than you do," replied Tom. "I suppose she must, for she certainly could marry richer men than Harry if she wanted to. She has the merit, at least, of disinterestedness."