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were astounded, save and except my brother Cuthbert, and that minx Kitty, who, when we were all staring at each other, in "amazement lost," said to her "Pa," loud enough for me to hear, "I shouldn't wonder if it was”

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What these ominous words portended, I could not venture to surmise; but my astonishment and dismay were not exceedingly small, when I saw my brother's man Hutton enter the room, and, proceeding to Miss Kitty, whisper something in her ear, and beheld her, after giving Cuthbert a pat on the arm, jump up from her chair, and run out of the room, followed by Jane, to whom she made a signal, into the hall, where, in a few moments, the noise of the laughing and giggling of girls and women, and the barking of dogs resounded.

In the midst of my amazement—in Ireland it would have been alarm-at the invasion of my house at so unusual an hour, in bounced Miss Kitty, who, running to Cuthbert, exclaimed with a look of triumphant sauciness, “It is her.” "Where is she?" said Cuthbert.

"Gone up with Jane into our room to take off her things," said Kitty; and, turning to my wife, who looked petrified at the performance in progress, added, "it's only Mrs. Brandyball, dear.” Dear! to my wife !-only Mrs. Brandyball!

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Why," said I, "she cannot have got our letter."

"No," said Cuthbert, "but I can explain that. Kitty had said she was sure you would be glad to see her on her way back-and so—I hadn't time to mention-this-before, but——"

"It makes no difference," said I.

dear, hadn't you better just see”

"Harriet,

"Oh no!" said Miss Falwasser, interrupting; "don't hurry, because dear governess has got something to tell me all to myself, and I'll go up and keep her company till you go into the drawing-room." Saying which, and seeming perfectly satisfied that her proposal for the arrangement was in fact a fiat, she proceeded unchecked by anybody to fulfil her intentions.

"This is quite a surprise," said Harriet, looking, as I thought, a little ruffled by the

event-"did you know Mrs. Brandyball was coming to-day, cousin ?”

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Why," said Cuthbert, "I don't exactly recollect what dear Kate said about it-I know she told me that when she heard from Mrs. Brandyball, she seemed to wish to know whether her coming here would be agreeable to you-and then, as far as I can recollect, Kate told me that she wished you to send her an invitation, as if it originated with yourself-so that she might not feel a difficulty in accepting the one she had given her; however, as she is come, all the trouble of writing to her to ask her might have been saved. Tommy, dear, pick up my toothpick—eh—ah.”

"I did not know," said I; for I confess the tact of Miss Falwasser in her manoeuvrings was any thing but soothing-" I did not know that Kitty had heard from the lady."

"Yes," said Cuthbert, "one day last week, I think."

"I didn't see the letter amongst ours," said I. "No," said Cuthbert, "Kate's maid always

goes down to the servants' hall when the letters come, to see if there are any for her; it saves us the trouble of sending them up to her after we get up-ah !"

All this sounded odd-there appeared a kind of precocity in her measures which did not tend in the slightest degree to exalt the opinion of the young lady's character or disposition which I had previously formed, and Cuthbert evidently saw what was passing in my mind.

"You know," added he, "the children are up long before we are-so that there is no reason why Kate should wait to get any letter which comes for her till we go to breakfast.”

"None in the least," said I: "only I was not prepared to hear that so young a lady maintained an independent correspondence."

"Yes," said Cuthbert, "her poor dear mother was always an advocate of freedom from restraint; and, besides, if the poor child were obliged to write those difficult pattern answers she would be tired to death-indeed, she can't bear any thing of the sort, but when she writes

of herself, if she does not spell every word exactly right, still she speaks her own sentiments and opinions. I am a great friend to leaving the mind all free."

"Well, Fanny," said Harriet, rousing her sister from a whispering tête-à-tête with her odious lieutenant, "when you are at leisure, perhaps Mamma would like to go to the drawing-room."

"Law, Harry!" said Fanny, blushing, "I am sure I'm ready to go whenever she pleases."

And up they got and away they went. I took Harriet's vacated seat and arranged the bottles.

"Sad accident has happened," said Merman, "to a brother officer of mine, Jukes, of ours. He was riding in the Park the day before yesterday, his horse ran away with him, and threw him, and he has broken his leg and two or three of his ribs. It would be deuced hard if he were to die, for he only purchased his company a fortnight since."

"That's sad work," said Cuthbert; "just

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