"He was conversing with her. It would be no matter of wonder, if he feels as you do, if he were to fall in love with her." "Pray Heaven he may!" said the mother warmly. Just then the cotillion dissolved, and Mrs. Baldwin saw her son receive the young lady from Dr. B—, conduct her to a seat, and take his place beside her. She looked into his face with a familiar expression, and he seemed to be perfectly at home with her. At the same moment, Doctor B— came up to Mrs. Baldwin and her daughter, and the former said to him— "What charming young lady is that you were dancing with just now? She is an entire stranger to me." "She is a charming girl, sure enough," returned the doctor. "Shall I introduce her to you?" "If you please, doctor. I will take it as a favor." Doctor B— went over to where Ella was sitting, and said to her that Mrs. Baldwin would be happy to make her acquaintance. Ella arose and took the doctor's arm, while her lover, with some few tremors about his heart moved to another part of the room from which he could carefully observe them. "Let me introduce to you my excellent young friend, Miss Hudson," said Doctor B—, presenting Ella. He purposely spoke the name so indistinctly that Mrs. Baldwin did not clearly make it out, and she was too well-bred to ask to have it repeated. Clara and Ella exchanged a look of intelligence that the mother did not observe. "My daughter," she said, as the doctor, after seating Ella by her side, turned away. The young ladies bowed to each other, and smiled cordially. For half an hour Mrs. Baldwin conversed with her future daughter-in-law on many subjects, and found her quite as interesting in reality as she was in appearance; and when some one claimed her hand for the dance, she let her go with reluctance. By this time there were a good many in the room who knew that Ella was engaged to be married to Doctor Baldwin, for the information volunteered by Doctor B— had spread with considerable rapidity. "I really must congratulate you on your future daughter-in-law," said a gentleman to Mrs. Baldwin, whose standing in society was altogether as high as her own. "She is decidedly the most charming girl in the room. Edward has shown uncommon good taste and good sense. There are not a few who would have been fools enough to pass her by because she had once taught music, but Edward's independence has stamped him, in my estimation, as a man. May both be as happy as they deserve to be." Some one touched the speaker on the arm, and he turned away without observing the blank look of astonishment that settled upon the face of her he addressed. "What does he mean, Clara?" asked the mother, in a low, earnest whisper, turning to her daughter with a bewildered air. "He means," replied the daughter, calmly, "that this lovely young girl, with whom every one is so charmed, is none other than Ella Hudson, and the betrothed of Edward." "It cannot be!" returned the mother.