STIFFNESS. 
it was no conseqaenoe whatever what you talked about, 
if you only talked plenty, a,nd if it was nothing but 
sheer nonsense, so much the better, and he was 
perfectly sure of the correctness of this information, 
because it was a well-known ‘ ‘ ladies’ man ” who had 
told him, so he commenced to talk incessantly to 
Mrs. Stiff. She remained seated, very stiff-looking, 
nodding occasionally by way of assent, and sometimes 
saying ‘‘Yes. Dear me? Indeed! How many?” At 
last he became painfully aware that there was solemn 
silence throughout the room. None were speaking 
but himself, and all eyes were turned upon him. The 
men turned their backs to him, and said something 
which he did not hear, and was not meant for his 
hearing. The ladies put their scented pocket-hand^- 
kerchiefs to their noses, and whispered behind them, 
the one to the other, “What an extraordinary man ! 
How could possibly our worthy hoatess, who is so 
particular as to society, ask that person to meet us ? 
Who is he? Heally we must leave early.” The 
whisper then goes round, “A coffee planter from 
Ceylon. Immensely rich you know, quite a mine of 
money, all coffee planters are, and of course he 
does not know our customs.” “ Of course not,” 
now is the general reply, “ How can he be 
expected to know ? Heally we are quite sorry for him. 
Cannot you get some one to introduce us, for we are 
quite sure we would do our best to entertain him? 
How stupid and foolish to assign Miss Stiff as his 
lady parbnrer for the evening. They could not have 
picked out worse. Now if any of us had been selected 
in her place, the pmr gentleman would have felt 
much more at ease. How very unfortunate for him. 
He will leave the party with a very poor impression 
of the ladies, and all owing to that Miss Stiffi” He 
did leave the party under a frame of mind that he 
had pulled through a disagreeable affair, but it was 
not owing to Miss Stiff, for she rather amused him 
than otherwise : it was the general feeling of stiffness 
that pervaded the whole affair which struck him as 
the general characteristic of the whole evening. The 
company did not seen at all to enjoy themselves. The 
host and hostess themselves no doubt were very glad 
when it was all over, and no doubt congratulated 
themselves, when the visitors were all gone, with “Well, 
we have done our duty to society and paid off our 
debt to those who asked us ; a great bore you know, 
but then it is just the custom of the country.’’ The- 
host, brightening up on the departure of his guests, 
became quite sociable and jocular as he accompanied 
them into the lobby, helped them on with their top- 
coats, and thanked them for having had the pleasure 
