“Not _we_, assuredly Miss Grahame,” observed Lester Vane, slowly, “but little children do. In their eyes dolls’ faces possess immense attractions, and they have a title to be ranked as the best judges of beauty in dolls, as”---- He paused, and looked into Helen’s eyes. “As men lay claim to be of loveliness in woman,” she responded, with a scarcely perceptible sneer. He bowed. “As, indeed, they ought to be,” he rejoined, quickly; “else why are your sex so desirous to obtain the approving admiration of ours?” “A fallacy, which your sex has the impertinence to assert, and the fatuity to believe,” she responded with a curling lip. “A shrewd imbecility, nevertheless,” returned Vane, smiling meaningly. “What say you, Miss Evangeline?” “Indeed, I think she had the sweetest face I ever beheld!” exclaimed Evangeline, with an enthusiasm which afflicted Mrs. Grahame--if that lady permitted any emotion, residing soberly within her well-ordered frame, to agitate itself to the extent of affliction. “Pish!” cried Malcolm, “you like dolls, even now. The fact is, you are all at fault; the companion was the prettiest of the two.” “What, haw maid?” inquired the Duke, extending his eyebrows half way up his forehead. “No, her friend. I have seen them arm in arm. None of you looked at her face; I did--she had the prettiest in Christendom, St. Allborne, all the world to nothing.” “May I, without inadvertence, inquire whose merits you are discussing?” inquired Mr. Grahame, with a loftiness he had for some time not displayed. “I have been listening in pain and astonishment,” responded Mrs. Grahame; “the subject is some creature who suddenly intruded herself upon your family and your guests in your garden, Mr. Grahame.” “Intruded herself in my garden!” exclaimed ‘Mr. Grahame, in a tone of outraged dignity. “His grace, perhaps, will repeat the romantic story?” added Mrs. Grahame. “Oh, weadily, weadily! you are wight, madam, the stowy is womantic,” returned the Duke, with vivacity. “The fact is, my deaw host,” continued he, “we weaw all in the gawden the othaw mawning; we had awested owaw steps for a few seconds, when, all of a moment, an appawition of angelic beauty pwesented itself to owaw dazzled eyes.” “In my garden!” exclaimed Mr. Grahame, fiercely, as much as to say, “how dare apparitions of angelic beauty present themselves in _my_ garden?” “No,” returned the Duke, “in the next gawden to the left. She wemained but faw an instant, and then dis-appeawed. We aw divided in opinion with wespect to haw chawms.” The manner of Mr. Grahame in a moment strangely altered its character. “The young lady is exquisitely beautiful!” he exclaimed, with an emphasis which made Mrs. Grahame slowly elongate upwards and Margaret Claverhouse open her eyes to their full extent, while the others looked at him with surprise. At length Mrs. Grahame found a tongue.