who, the world over, are the greatest adepts in concealing their thoughts.
I noticed at all these public games and sports that there were a good many very pretty and graceful young ladies who were never spoken to or noticed by any of the ladies I knew, and whom I did not recollect to have seen at any of the assemblies or parties I had frequented. They seemed on excellent terms with many of the gentlemen, and were as lively, and apparently as intelligent, and certainly as good-looking, as any of the ladies of my acquaintance.
I called the attention of one of my fair friends to these ladies who kept apart from the rest, and asked her who they were. She did not deign to look towards them, but, with a haughty toss of the head, said, "I don't know; don't ask me! No respectable person knows such creatures,"
I was completely mystified, but said no more to my pretty companion about these young ladies. There was evidently something improper about them, or she would not have spoken of them in that scornful manner.
Julian, who had just been competing very successfully at the harpooning, came towards us just then. I slipped my arm within his, and said, "Tell me, my friend, what is the mystery about those pretty girls yonder, that they are treated so scornfully by our lady friends here?"
"Oh," whispered he, "those are young ladies who have been tampering, or are suspected of having tampered, with the air-tubes."
"Tampering with the air-tubes!" I exclaimed; "what, in the name of all that's wonderful, is that?"
"Well," said he, "I can't very well tell you,
