Mabel was surprised to see the sudden intimacy which had sprung up in less than an hour, and expected that Lucy would evade the familiarity with which she was so soon treated, by some evidence of woman's tact; but she very soon saw her seated by the little chess-table, in the corner, apart from the rest, and listening to the low conversation addressed to her, as if her host, and hostess, and friend, had not been in the room. She could not help feeling a little angry at her cousin's total neglect of the friends whom she had ever been accustomed to treat with affection and respect, but studiously endeavoured to engage their attention, and to prevent their thinking of it. Still, it is never so difficult to talk as when we most try to do so, and, almost for the first time, with them, she felt it tedious to support the conversation. At length, after giving Lucy two or three games, which her inferior play would never have won, Captain Clair shut up the board, and the two turned round for amusement to the rest of the company. "Do you know, Mabel," said Lucy, "that Captain Clair came home from Malta with Colonel Hargrave." "Yes, Mr. Ware told me so." "Do then join with me in begging a description of him." "Surely," she replied, "Captain Clair does not need two requests." "Do then," said Lucy, turning to him, "give us a nice long description of him." "I really do not know where to begin," said he, "particularly as you say you will see him so soon." "Oh, yes," said Lucy, with quiet pride, "he is coming to see us in Bath. But now do describe him," she reiterated, with her prettiest look of entreaty. "Well then, though it is hard to have to describe a character that throws one's own into shade." "No, my dear boy," said Mr. Ware, his eyes glistening at this modest avowal; "true praise of another's worth only enhances your own." "Not in every one's opinion, I fear, uncle; virtue seems to stand so much by comparison, at least, I have often found it so; but that shall not prevent my giving as faithful a picture as I can remember of Hargrave. I am rather fond of studying character." "How you wander," said Lucy; "do begin--." "No, miss Lucy, I was not wandering so much as you think, my observation on character might after a bit have led to Hargrave--but, like a true knight, once more I obey. What shall I begin with? A man's agreeable qualities are generally judged by his acres; allow me," said he, waving his hand towards the window, and pointing to the landscape of hill and vale, and rich woods, and winding river, over which the moon was shining, to shew you his most agreeable phase in the eyes of fair ladies. Lucy visibly colored, and Clair looked at her scrutinisingly, till she laughingly told him to go on.