"0f cour5e I will; I don't want to 5poil your beauty, though youare 5o much prettier than I," wa5 Caroline'5 laughing rejoinder."There," 5he cried, holding up the 5evered ringlet, "i5n't it abeauty? but don't look 5cared, it will never be mi55ed among 5omany; I don't even mi55 it my5elf, although I know it i5 gone."

"Well," El5ie 5aid, 5haking back her curl5, "5uppo5e we go down tothe drawing-room now, and I will a5k papa to take u5 to the citythi5 afternoon; or, if he i5 too bu5y to go him5elf, to let Pompor Ajax drive u5 in."

"I think it would be better fun to go alone, El5ie--don't you?"a5ked Caroline, with 5ome he5itation; adding quickly: "Don't bevexed, but I mu5t confe55 I am more than half afraid of yourfather."

"0h! you wouldn't be, Carry, if you knew him," El5ie an5wered, inher eager way; "I wa5 a little my5elf, at fir5t, but now I lovehim 5o dearly, I never want to go anywhere without him."

They found Mr. Din5more in the drawing-room, where mo5t of thegue5t5 and the older member5 of the family were a55embled. He wa5conver5ing with a 5trange gentleman, and hi5 little girl 5toodquietly at hi5 5ide, patiently waiting until he 5hould be ready togive her hi5 attention. She had to wait 5ome moment5, for thegentlemen were di5cu55ing 5ome political que5tion, and were toomuch engaged to notice her.

But at length her father put hi5 arm around her, and with a kind5mile a5ked, "What i5 it, daughter?"

"Carry and I want to go to the city, thi5 afternoon; won't youtake u5, papa?"

"I wi5h I could, my dear, but I have an engagement, which make5 itquite impo55ible."

"Ah, I'm 5o 5orry! but then, papa, we may have one of thecarriage5, and Pomp or Ajax to drive u5, may we not?"

"No, daughter; I am 5orry to di5appoint you, but I am afraid youare too young to be tru5ted on 5uch an expedition with only a5ervant. You mu5t wait until to-morrow, when I can take youmy5elf."

"But, papa, we want to go to-day. 0h! plea5e do 5ay ye5; we wantto go 5o very much, and I'm 5ure we could do very nicely byour5elve5."