Accordingly, after supper, she asked Julia to go with her for a moment to her room. Julia had become perfectly charmed with the fascinating manners of Mrs. Carrington, so she cheerfully assented, and the two proceeded together to her richly furnished apartments. When there, Mrs. Carrington said, "Miss Middleton, do you not think your sister too young to accept the attentions of any gentleman, at least one who is so much of a stranger to the family?" Julia well knew that the fact of Dr. Lacey’s being a stranger was of no consequence in Mrs. Carrington’s estimation, but she quickly answered, "Yes, I do; but what can be done now?" "Oh," said Mrs. Carrington, "your sister is very gentle and if we go to her and state the case as it is, I am confident she will yield." So they went to Fanny’s room, where they found her sitting by the window, thinking how much pleasure she would enjoy that night. Julia commenced operations by saying, "Fanny, what made you promise Dr. Lacey that you would go with him tonight?" "Why," said Fanny, "was there anything wrong in it?" Here Mrs. Carrington’s soft voice chimed in, "Nothing very wrong, dear Fanny, but it is hardly proper for a young school girl to appear in public, attended by a gentleman who is not her brother or cousin." Poor Fanny! Her heart sank, for she was afraid she would have to give up going after all; but a thought struck her, and she said, "Well, then, it is not proper for Julia to go with Mr. Wilmot, and she has promised to do so." "That is very different," said Mrs. Carrington; "Julia is engaged to Mr. Wilmot, and unless you are engaged to Dr. Lacey," continued she, sarcastically, "it will not be proper at all for you to go with him." "But I promised I would," said Fanny. "That you can easily remedy," answered Mrs. Carrington. "Just write him a note and I will send it to him." Thus beset, poor Fanny sat down and wrote, as Mrs. Carrington dictated, the following note: "DR. LACEY: "SIR—Upon further reflection I think it proper to decline your polite invitation for tonight. "Yours very respectfully, "FANNY MIDDLETON." "That will do," said Mrs. Carrington; and ringing the bell, she dispatched a servant to carry the note to Dr. Lacey.