`What have you done to Walter, Mrs. Huntingdon?' said she one morning, when I had called at the Grove, and he had just left the room after exchanging a few words of the coldest civility. `He has been so extremely ceremonious and stately of late, I can't imagine what it is all about, unless you have desperately offended him. Tell me what it is, that I may be your mediator, and make you friends again.'

`I have done nothing willingly to offend him,' said I. `If he is offended, he can best tell you himself what it is about.'

`I'll ask him,' cried the giddy girl, springing up and putting her head out of the window; `he's only in the garden--Walter!'

`No, no, Esther! you will seriously displease me if you do; and I shall leave you immediately, and not come again for months--perhaps years.

`Did you call, Esther?' said her brother, approaching the window from without.

`Yes; I wanted to ask you--'

`Good morning, Esther,' said I, taking her hand and giving it a severe squeeze.

`To ask you,' continued she, `to get me a rose for Mrs. Huntingdon.' He departed. `Mrs. Huntingdon,' she exclaimed, turning to me and still holding me fast by the hand, `I'm quite shocked at you--you're just as angry, and distant, and cold as he is: and I'm determined you shall be as good friends as ever, before you go.

`Esther, how can you be so rude!' cried Mrs. Hargrave, who was seated gravely knitting in her easy chair. `Surely, you never will learn to conduct yourself like a lady!'

`Well mamma, you said, yourself--' But the young lady was silenced by the uplifted finger of her mamma, accompanied with a very stern shake of the head.

`Isn't she cross?' whispered she to me; but, before I could add my share of reproof, Mr. Hargrave reappeared at the window with a beautiful moss rose in his hand.

`Here, Esther, I've brought you the rose,' said he, extending it towards her.

`Give it her yourself, you blockhead!' cried she, recoiling with a spring from between us.

`Mrs. Huntingdon would rather receive it from you,' replied he in a very serious tone, but lowering his voice that his mother might not hear. His sister took the rose and gave it to me.

`My brother's compliments, Mrs. Huntingdon, and he hopes you and he will come to a better understanding by and by.--Will that do, Walter?' added the saucy girl, turning to him and putting her arm round his neck, as he stood leaning upon the sill of the window--'or should I have said that you are sorry you were so touchy? or that you hope she will pardon your offence?'

`You silly girl! you don't know what you are talking about,' replied he gravely.

`Indeed I don't; for I'm quite in the dark.'

`Now Esther,' interposed Mrs. Hargrave, who, if equally benighted on the subject of our estrangement, saw at least that her daughter was behaving very improperly, `I must insist upon your leaving the room!'

`Pray don't, Mrs. Hargrave, for I'm going to leave it myself,' said I, and immediately made my adieux.