"But if it is cleared up the wrong way?"
said I.

"Why! Then it will only have been common
honesty in me as a shareholder to have given
this good man the money. I am quite clear
about it in my own mind; but, you know, I
can never speak quite as comprehensibly as
others can,—only you must give me your
note, Mr. Dobson, if you please, and go on
with your purchases with these sovereigns."

The man looked at her with silent
gratitude, too awkward to put his thanks into
words; but he hung back for a minute or
two, fumbling with his note.

"I'm loth to make another one lose instead
of me, if it is a loss; but you see five pounds
is a deal of money to a man with a family;
and as you say, ten to one, in a day or two,
the note will be as good as gold again."

"No hope of that, my friend," said the
shopman.

"The more reason why I should take it,"
said Miss Matey quietly; she pushed her
sovereigns towards the man, who slowly laid
his note down in exchange. " Thank you.
I will wait a day or two before I purchase
any of these silks; perhaps you will then
have a greater choice. My dear! will you
come upstairs?"

We inspected the fashions with as minute
and curious an interest as if the gown to be
made after them had been bought. I could
not see that the little event in the shop below
had in the least damped Miss Matey's
curiosity as to the make of sleeves, or the sit
of skirts. She once or twice exchanged
congratulations with me on our private and
leisurely view of the bonnets and shawls;
but I was all the time not so sure that our
examination was so utterly private, for I
caught glimpses of a figure dodging behind
the cloaks and mantles; and, by a dexterous
move, I came face to face with Miss Pole,
also in morning costume (the principal feature
of which was her being without teeth, and
wearing a veil to conceal the deficiency), come
on the same errand as ourselves. But she
quickly took her departure, because she had
a bad headache and did not feel herself up to
conversation.

As we came down through the shop the civil
Mr Johnson was awaiting us; he had been
informed of the exchange of the note for gold, and
with much good feeling and real kindness, but
with a little want of tact, he wished to condole
with Miss Matey, and impress upon her the
real state of the case. I could only hope that
he had heard an exaggerated rumour, for he
said that her shares were worse than nothing,
and that the bank could not pay a shilling in
the pound. I was glad that Miss Matey
seemed still a little incredulous; but I could
not tell how much of this was real, or assumed
witli that self-control which seemed habitual
to ladies of Miss Matey's standing in Cranford.
who would have thought their dignity
comromised by the slightest expression of
surprise, dismay, or any similar feeling to an
inferior in station, or in a public shop.
However, we walked home very silently; I am
ashamed to  say I believe I was rather
vexed and annoyed at Miss Matey's conduct
in taking the note to herself so decidedly. I
had so set my heart upon her having a new
silk gown, which she wanted sadly; in general
she was so undecided anybody might turn
her round; in this case I had felt that it was
no use attempting it, but I was not the
less put out at the result.

Somehow, after twelve o'clock, we both
acknowledged to a sated curiosity about the
fashions; and to a certain fatigue of body
(which was, in fact, depression of mind) that
indisposed us to go out again. But still wo
never spoke of the note; till all at once
something possessed me to ask Miss Matey if she
would think it her duty to offer sovereigns
for all the notes of the Town and County
Bank she met with. I could have bitten my
tongue out the minute I had said it. She
looked up rather sadly, and as if I had thrown
a new perplexity into her already distressed
mind, and for a minute or two she did not
speak. Then she said—my own dear Miss
Matey—without a shade of reproach in her
voice,

"My dear! I never feel as if my mind
was what people call very strong, and it's
often hard enough work for me to settle what
I ought to do with the case right before me—
I was very thankful to—I was very thankful
that I saw my duty this morning with the
poor man standing by me; but it's rather a
strain upon me to keep thinking and thinking
what I should do if such and such a thing
happened, and I believe I had rather wait
and see what really does come; and I don't
doubt I shall be helped then, if I don't fidget
myself, and get too anxious beforehand. You
know, love, I'm not like Deborah. If Deborah
had lived, I've no doubt she would have seen
after them, before they had got themselves
into this state."

We had neither of us much appetite for
dinner, though we tried to talk cheerfully
about indifferent things. When we returned
into the drawing-room, Miss Matey unlocked
her desk and began to look over her account-
books. I was so penitent for what I had said
in the morning, that I did not choose to take
upon myself the presumption to suppose that
I could assist her; I rather left her alone, as
with puzzled brow her eye followed her pen
up and down the ruled page. By and bye
she shut the book, locked her desk, and came
and drew a chair to mine, where I sat in
moody sorrow over the fire. I stole my hand
into hers; she clasped it, but did not speak a
word. At last she said, with forced
composure in her voice, " If that bank goes wrong,
I shall lose one hundred and forty-nine
pounds thirteen shillings and fourpence a
year; I shall only have thirteen pounds a
year left." I squeezed her hand hard and