“Indeed! That is serious. I will receive him courteously, of course, and with tender dignity. If there is any time when a lady should be considerate, it is when she is compelled to suppress the love she has inspired. Do not look at me, niece; I shall find myself equal to the occasion, depend on that. But, after visiting that creature, he cannot expect the reception I might otherwise have given him.” “Where is grandmamma, Aunt Eliza?” “In her room. Go to her, child, and confess every thing. She is kind, she is benevolent. Have no fear to approach her; she may not possess my bland manner—but that is the fault of early education. She is a trustworthy person, and deserves to be treated well.” “Afraid to approach my darling old grandmamma, who knows so much more than all of us put together, and is worth a thousand people, if we count the heart for any thing. Dear me! what a precious old goose Aunt Eliza is. Ha! she is leaning over the banister again. I hope she didn’t hear me.” “Georgiana!” “Well, Aunt Eliza.” “At what hour did Mr. Gould speak of calling?” “He did not appoint any special time.” “Well, it does not matter, one can dress early, and the pleasures of anticipation are so exquisitely sweet, that I shall quite revel in them,” muttered Miss Eliza to herself. “I only wanted this to bring that proud man to his knees. Let him fear to lose me once, and we shall have an interesting crisis; depend on that, Eliza Halstead.” Once more the banisters were left to their own support, and Miss Eliza retired into the place she called her boudoir, while Georgie went to her grandmother, and told her all that had passed. When Georgie spoke of Mr. Gould, the old lady seemed unusually disturbed, and asked a good many questions with singular interest, but said nothing against his coming, and smiled a little, as nice old ladies will when they watch the workings of a young girl’s heart in her innocent speech. From that night Mrs. Halstead was less anxious about the heavy eyes and pale cheeks of her pet. In fact, it was not long before her cheeks wore the flush of wild roses, and her eyes—— Well, it is of no use describing Georgie’s eyes when she was happy—they were too lovely for comparison. It had been a chilly day, which made fires pleasant, when Savage had that interview in the old maid’s room; but the weather was deliciously pleasant now, and Miss Eliza came out in white muslin and blue ribbons, radiant with expectation from breakfast time till noon, and from noon till evening. Then Mr. Gould came, and, according to her own private instructions, was taken up to her room, where the Cupid was quivering over a basket of real flowers, and Miss Eliza sat in position, with her foot on the ottoman, and some innocent white flowers in her hair.