At this the elder sister, finding that she could do nothing with little Mary, escaped from the parlor, and running up stairs, made a report to her mother of what was going on below. "Mercy!" exclaimed the lady, in painful surprise. "She told him that you said you never wanted to look upon his face again," said the little girl. "She did!" "Yes. And she is telling him a great deal more. I tried my best to make her stop, but couldn't." "Rachel! Go down and bring that child out of the parlor!" said Mrs. Fairview, to a servant. "It is too bad! I had no idea that the little witch knew anything about it. So much for talking before children!" "And so much for not being at home when you are," remarked a sister of Mrs. Fairview, who happened to be present. "So much for having an acquaintance who makes himself at home in your house, whether you want him or not." "No doubt you are both sufficiently well punished." "I have been, I know." The heavy jar of the street door was heard at this moment. "He's gone, I do believe!" And so it proved. What else little Mary said to him was never known, as the violent scolding she received when her mother got hold of her, sealed her lips on the subject, or drove all impressions relating thereto from her memory. Mr. Bebee never called again. THE FATAL ERROR. "CLINTON!" said Margaret Hubert, with a look of supreme contempt. "Don't speak of him to me, Lizzy. His very name is an offence to my ears!" and the lady's whole manner became disturbed. "He will be at the ball to-night, of course, and will renew his attentions," said the friend, in an earnest, yet quiet voice. "Now, for all your expressions of dislike, I have thought that you were really far from being indifferent to Mr. Clinton, and affected a repugnance at variance with your true feelings." "Lizzy, you will offend me if you make use of such language. I tell you he is hateful to me," replied Miss Hubert. "Of course, you ought to know your own state of mind best," said Lizzy Edgar. "If it is really as you say, I must confess that my observation has not been accurate. As to there being anything in Mr. Clinton to inspire an emotion of contempt, or create so strong a dislike as you express, I have yet to see it. To me he has ever appeared in the light of a gentleman." "Then suppose you make yourself agreeable to him, Lizzy," said Miss Hubert. "I try to make myself agreeable to every one," replied the even-minded girl. "That is a duty I owe to those with whom I associate." "Whether you like them or not?" "It doesn't follow, because I do not happen to like a person, that I should render myself disagreeable to him." "I never tolerate people that I don't like," said Miss Hubert. "We needn't associate too intimately with those who are disagreeable to us," returned her friend; "but when we are thrown together in society, the least we can do is to be civil."