"Vous êtes belle: ainsi donc la moitié
Du genre humain sera votre ennemie."
Voltaire.
"Oh, I think the cause
Of much was, they forgot no crowd
Makes up for parents in their shroud."
R. Browning.
The servant came to call me down to tea while I was still sitting with my face in my hands upon the bed. I started up, lit the candles on the dressing-table, arranged my hair, washed the tears off my face, and hurried down the stairs. They were waiting for me in the parlor, and no doubt were quite impatient, as they had already waited for the arrival of the evening train, and it was nearly eight o'clock. The evening train had brought Mr. Eugene Whitney, of whom I can only say, that he was a very insignificant young man indeed. We all moved into the dining-room; the others took the seats they were accustomed to. Mr. Whitney and I, being the only new-comers, were advised which seats belonged to us by a trim young maid-servant, and I, for one, was very glad to get into mine. Mr. Whitney was my neighbor on one hand, the youngest of the Hollenbeck boys on the other. These were our seats:
Kilian, Miss Leighton, Miss Henrietta Palmer, Miss Benson, Mr. Eugene Whitney, Tutor, Myself, Boy, Boy, Mrs. Hollenbeck.
| Kilian, | ||
| Miss Leighton, | Miss Henrietta Palmer, | |
| Miss Benson, | Mr. Eugene Whitney, | |
| Tutor, | Myself, | |
| Boy, | Boy, | |
| Mrs. Hollenbeck. |
The seat opposite me was not filled when we sat down.
"Where is Mr. Langenau, Charley?" said his mother.
"I'm sure I don't know, mamma," said Charley, applying himself to marmalade.
"Charley doesn't see much of his tutor out of hours, I think," said Miss Benson.
"A good deal too much of him in 'em," murmured Charley, between a spoonful of marmalade and a drink of milk.
"Benny's the boy that loves his book," said Kilian; "he's the joy of his tutor's heart, I know," at which there was a general laugh, and Benny, the younger, looked up with a merry smile.