Delafield."
{penseroso = melancholy}
"Unless enlivened by the contagious gayety of your
smile," returned Delafield, endeavouring to look
excessively unconcerned; "but"--
"Oh! my very laugh is musical, I know," interrupted
Maria; "but then it is often shockingly out of time."
"It seldom fails to produce an accompaniment,"
said the gentleman, now smiling in reality; "but"--
"Where is Charlotte Henley?" said the young lady,
again interrupting him; "she has a perfect horror of
the tuning of fiddles and the preparatory
thrummings on the piano; so endeavour to preserve
the harmony of your temper for the second act."
"Well! it is some relief to know she is coming at
all," cried Seymour, quickly; and then, recovering
himself with perfect breeding, he added--"for one
would wish to see you as happy as all your friends
can make you, on such an occasion."
"I am extremely indebted to your unbounded
philanthropy," said Maria, rising and courtseying
with great gravity; "do not doubt of its being
honourably mentioned at"--
"Nay, nay," cried the youth, colouring and laughing,
"you would not think of mentioning my remarks to"-
-
"At the next meeting of the Dorcas Society, of
which I am an unworthy member," continued Maria,
without listening to his remonstrance.
{Dorcas Society = lady's group at a church, devoted
to making and providing clothes for the poor}
Seymour Delafield now laughed without any
affectation--and exchanging a look of perfect
consciousness of each other's meaning, they
separated, as the preparations for the business of
the evening were about to commence.
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