There was a general clearing up of countenances, at this frank avowal; and I saw that Anneke, herself, turned her looks inquiringly upon the speaker, and suffered a smile to relieve the extreme gravity of her sweet countenance. From that moment, a very sensible change came over the feelings and deportment of the younger part of the company, and the conversation became easier and more natural. It was certainly much in our favour to have it known, we had not officiously and boyishly joined in a gratuitous attempt to rob and insult this particular and unoffending family, but that Mr. Worden and I supposed we were simply aiding in getting back those things which properly belonged to our hosts, and getting them back, too, in a manner of which the party we supposed we were acting against, would certainly have no right to complain, inasmuch as they had set the example. Guert was encouraged to go on further with his explanations; which he did, in his own honest, candid manner, exculpating us, in effect, from everything but being a little too much disposed to waggery, for a minister of the church, and his pupil, who had just commenced his travels. Anneke's face brightened up, more and more, as the explanations proceeded; and, soon after they were ended, she turned to me in a very gracious manner, and inquired after my mother. As I sat directly opposite to her, and the table was narrow, we could converse without attracting much attention to ourselves; Mr. Mayor and his other guests keeping up a round of reasonably noisy jokes, on the events of the evening, nearer the foot of the table. “You find some customs in Albany, Mr. Littlepage, that are not known to us, in New York,” Anneke observed, after a few preliminary remarks had opened the way to further communication. “I scarce know, Miss Anneke, whether you allude to what has occurred this evening, or to what occurred this afternoon?” “To both, I believe,” answered Anneke, smiling, though she coloured, as I thought, with a species of feminine vexation; “for, certainly, one is no more a custom with us than the other.” “I have been most unfortunate, Miss Mordaunt, in the exhibitions I have made of myself in the course of the few hours I have passed in this, to me, strange place. I am afraid you regard me as little more than an overgrown boy who has been permitted by his parents to leave home sooner than he ought.” “This is your construction, and not mine, Mr. Littlepage. I suppose you know--but, we will talk of this in the other room, or at some other time.”