mrs. thornton was shy. it was only of late years that she had hadleisure enough in her life to go into society; and as society she did notenjoy it. as dinner-giving, and as criticising other people\"s dinners, shetook satisfaction in it. but this going to make acquaintance withstrangers was a very different thing. she was ill at ease, and lookedmore than usually stern and forbidding as she entered the hales\" littledrawing-room.

margaret was busy embroidering a small piece of cambric for somelittle article of dress for edith\"s expected baby--\"flimsy, useless work,\"

as mrs. thornton observed to herself. she liked mrs. hale\"s doubleknitting far better; that was sensible of its kind. the room altogetherwas full of knick-knacks, which must take a long time to dust; and timeto people of limited ine was money.

she made all these reflections as she was talking in her stately way tomrs. hale, and uttering all the stereotyped monplaces that mostpeople can find to say with their senses blindfolded. mrs. hale wasmaking rather more exertion in her answers, captivated by some real oldlace which mrs. thornton wore; \"lace,\" as she afterwards observed todixon, \"of that old english point which has not been made for thisseventy years, and which cannot be bought. it must hāve been an heirloom,and shows that she had ancestors.\" so the owner of the ancestrallace became worthy of something more than the languid exertion to beagreeable to a visitor, by which mrs. hale\"s efforts at conversationwould hāve been otherwise bounded. and presently, margaret, rackingher brain to talk to fanny, heard her mother and mrs. thornton plungeinto the interminable subject of servants.

\"i suppose you are not musical,\" said fanny, \"as i see no piano.\"

\"i am fond of hearing good music; i cannot play well myself; and papaand mamma don\"t care much about it; so we sold our old piano when wecame here.\"

\"i wonder how you can exist without one. it almost seems to me anecessary of life.\"

\"fifteen shillings a week, and three sāved out of them!\" thoughtmargaret to herself \"but she must hāve been very young. she probablyhas forgotten her own personal experience. but she must know of thosedays.\" margaret\"s manner had an extra tinge of coldness in it when shenext spoke.

\"you hāve good concerts here, i believe.\"

\"oh, yes! delicious! too crowded, that is the worst. the directors admitso indiscriminately. but one is sure to hear the newest music there. ialways hāve a large order to give to johnson\"s, the day after a concert.\"

\"do you like new music simply for its newness, then?\"

\"oh; one knows it is the fashion in london, or else the singers wouldnot bring it down here. you hāve been in london, of course.\"

\"yes,\" said margaret, \"i hāve lived there for several years.\"

\"oh! london and the alhambra are the two places i long to see!\"

\"london and the alhambra!\"

\"yes! ever since i read the tales of the alhambra. don\"t you knowthem?\"

\"i don\"t think i do. but surely, it is a very easy journey to london.\"

\"yes; but somehow,\" said fanny, lowering her voice, \"mamma has neverbeen to london herself, and can\"t understand my longing. she is veryproud of milton; dirty, smoky place, as i feel it to be. i believe sheadmires it the more for those very qualities.\"

\"if it has been mrs. thornton\"s home for some years, i can wellunderstand her loving it,\" said margaret, in her clear bell-like voice.

\"what are you saying about me, miss hale? may i inquire?\"