When the new quadrille formed, with a graceful bow he extended his hand to Mathilde and led her to the head of one of the sets. He danced as well as he conversed. Why should I run into detail? Mathilde's fancy was captivated. They finished the quadrille, and for the remainder of the evening Mr. Howard's attentions, though very devoted, were marked by too much delicacy and good taste to attract notice from any one except her to whom they were directed. The impression made upon Mathilde was as yet not sufficiently deep to render her reserved with me upon this subject. Consequently when the ball was over, and we had reached our double-bedded chamber, my friend broke forth in eager exclamations. "Did you ever see such a fine-looking person, Agnes? And then his conversation! how brilliant! and how varied! how much he must have traveled! and then how well he dances!" "Pshaw!" said I. "'Oh, what a fall was there,' 'from the sublime to the ridiculous!'" "Yes, but he does dance well! and let me tell you that very few men can do so! he strikes the nice balance between _le grand_ and _la frivole_ in his manner! And then his name--Howard--_la crême de la crême_ of aristocratic names. Don't you remember _Le Lion blanc_ of the house of Howard?" And so she rattled on, talking incessantly of the new acquaintance until we went to bed, and I went to sleep leaving her still talking. The next morning, I noticed that Mathilde spent more than usual time and attention upon her toilette. She looked very pretty--when did she not?--in her embroidered cambric morning dress, with no ornament but her jetty ringlets flowing down each side her freshly-blooming face. When we went downstairs, there was Mr. Howard waiting in the hall, to offer Mathilde his arm to the breakfast table. Afterward at the ladies bowling-alley who but Mr. Howard stood at Mathilde's elbow to hand the balls? Who took her in to dinner? Who made a horseblock of his knee and a stepping-stone of the palm of his hand to lift Mathilde into her saddle? Who attended her in her afternoon ride? In her evening walk? In the duet with the piano accompaniment at night? Howard--still Howard! Until after several weeks of this association, at last papa opened his eyes and inquired first of himself and next of his host: "Who is this Mr. Howard, who is paying such very particular attention to my daughter?" "Mr. Howard, sir; Mr. Howard is a very talented young mechanic of Boston," answered the proprietor. "A--what?" questioned the astonished old gentleman. "A very accomplished young machinist, and mathematical instrument maker, sir, who has realized quite a handsome fortune by his patented improvement in----" "The foul fiend!" exclaimed the old aristocrat, throwing up his hands in consternation, as he trotted off. His daughter talking, dancing, riding, flirting with a mechanic! Oh! horror, horror, horror!