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captain was not so easily abashed; saying, that he had the honour of bringing a message for Miss Stewart, from Mrs Flinders. He took his seat, and began talking of the weather with all the ease of an old acquaintance.
Miss Stewart, who, in expectation of the captain's visit, had changed her dress, walked into the room, with a smile, or rather simper, on her countenance; through which, an acute observer would, however, have seen the remains of the recent storm. Her eyes sparkled, but her eyebrows were not yet unbent to the openness of good humour: her voice was, however, changed to the tone of pleasure; and so much wit did she find in the captain's conversation, that every sentence he uttered produced a laugh. They had, indeed, all the laugh to themselves; for, as they only spoke about the ball, and as neither Mr Stewart nor Mary had been there, they could have no clue to the meaning of the many brilliant things that were said. But
