38 THE COUSLNS.

and Lucy, and Charles, and Lucy’s doll seated at
table. He placed a chair for himself at one cor-
ner of the table, and ate a cake, and drank a cup
of tea with them, declaring both to be excellent.
The party went on very merrily, till Charles,
having helped himself to butter with his own
knife, Lucy scized his arm, exclaiming, “‘ Why,
Charles, don’t you know that it is very rude to
put your own knife in the butter?” Poor Charles,
who had been playing the gentleman of the
party to his own perfect satisfaction, hung his
head, and Icoked quite abashed. Nor was he the
only person made to feel unpleasantly by Lucy’s
ill-timed repreof. Mary’s knife, too, had been in
the butter, and she feared that Lucy had seen it,
and intended her observations for her as well as
for Charles. This was a mistake. Lucy knew
nothing of Mary’s misdemeanour. Indeed, her
rebuke to Charles was chiefly intended to display,
to her newly-arrived cousin, her acquaintance
with the rules of conduct observed among polite
persons, and she was sincerely grieved at the
evident gloom her lesson had cast over the party.
““My daughter,” said Mr. Lovett, “Charles