“And here is a stranger I have brought with me! Captain Ethel! Bless you, I found him on the wharf! conscripted him, and made him come,” heartily exclaimed the major, doing three or four things at the same time—kissing his daughter, shaking hands with his hostess, and presenting his friend. “I am delighted to see you, Major Fielding, and I thank you cordially for bringing our friend with you! Captain Ethel, I congratulate you on your new promotion,” said Miss Rosenthal, warmly welcoming her guest. Young Ethel bowed low in acknowledgment of those courteous words; and then he offered Erminie his arm; and they followed Major Fielding and his daughter, who had preceded them, down the garden walk. Major Fielding was surprised and pleased to meet so many of his old friends, and he insisted on believing that they had come purposely to meet him. Captain Ethel was duly presented to such of the company as were not personally known to him. And then, as the evening air was growing damp, the company adjourned from the garden to the house, where tea was soon served. After tea they went into the lighted drawing-room, where Mr. Billingcoo entertained the ladies with some of his best songs, accompanying himself upon his guitar. And when he had tired himself and his audience, Erminie delighted her friends with some of her finest music on the pianoforte. But Erminie’s radiant and dazzling beauty was the one theme of wonder and admiration among her guests. The almost divine splendor of that beauty had escaped their observation in the moonlit garden; but now in the lighted drawing-room it struck them with something like amazement. “How lovely Miss Rosenthal looks this evening! I never in my life saw, or even imagined anything so brilliantly beautiful as her face,” said sober Dr. Sales to old Major Fielding. “Yes! I have been watching her. She always was a perfect beauty, you know! but now she’s a perfect angel!” answered the major. And unconscious of the admiration she was exciting, Erminie played and sang unweariedly. When she arose from the piano, old Mrs. Billingcoo went to her side, and looking at her attentively, said: “Your cheeks and lips are like scarlet roses, my love! and your eyes are like diamonds!—Are you sure you are quite well?” Erminie’s silvery laugh rang out clearly and joyously, and almost startlingly, from her who was always so quiet. “My dear Mrs. Billingcoo, I never felt so well in my life! Like Wordsworth’s little maid, I feel my ‘life in every limb’!” she said. And she immediately left the room to order ice cream and strawberries, for the refreshment of her guests. A little later in the evening, when the company was thinking of breaking up, Miss Suzy Mim, watching Erminie, said: “I am sure Miss Rosenthal is keeping up by great effort! I wonder if she hasn’t been taking ammonia or something!” “Ammonia!” indignantly exclaimed Elfie. “Erminie never takes anything of that sort!”