"You are bent on perpetrating further gaiety to-night," said the latter, glancing at the ball-dresses of the two cousins; "are you in the colours of the Houston faction, or in those of the Peabody." "Not in pea-green, certainly," returned Eve, laughing--"as you may see; but in simple white." "You intend then to be 'led a measure' at Mrs. Houston's. It were more suitable than among the other faction." "Is fashion, then, faction, in New-York?" inquired Sir George. "Fractions would be a better word, perhaps. But we have parties in almost every thing, in America; in politics, religion, temperance, speculations, and taste; why not in fashion?" "I fear we are not quite independent enough to form parties on such a subject," said Eve. "Perfectly well said, Miss Effingham; one must think a little originally, let it be ever so falsely, in order to get up a fashion. I fear we shall have to admit our insignificance on this point. You are a late arrival, Sir George Templemore?" "As lately as the commencement of this month; I had the honour of being a fellow-passenger with Mr. Effingham and his family." "In which voyage you suffered shipwreck, captivity, and famine, if half we hear be true." "Report has a little magnified our risks; we encountered some serious dangers, but nothing amounting to the sufferings you have mentioned." "Being a married woman, and having passed the crisis in which deception is not practised, I expect to hear truth again," said Mrs. Bloomfield, smiling. "I trust, however, you underwent enough to qualify you all for heroes and heroines, and shall content myself with knowing that you are here, safe and happy--if," she added, looking inquiringly at Eve, "one who has been educated abroad _can_ be happy at home." "One educated abroad _may_ be happy at home, though possibly not in the modes most practised by the world," said Eve firmly. "Without an opera, without a court, almost without society!" "An opera would be desirable, I confess; of courts I know nothing, unmarried females being cyphers in Europe; and I hope better things than to think I shall be without society." "Unmarried females are considered cyphers too, here, provided there be enough of them with a good respectable digit at their head. I assure you no one quarrels with the cyphers under such circumstances. I think, Sir George Templemore, a town like this must be something of a paradox to you." "Might I venture to inquire the reason for this opinion!" "Merely because it is neither one thing nor another. Not a capital, nor yet merely a provincial place; with something more than commerce in its bosom, and yet with that something hidden under a bushel. A good deal more than Liverpool, and a good deal less than London. Better even than Edinburgh, in many respects, and worse than Wapping, in others." "You have been abroad, Mrs. Bloomfield?"