I'm always expecting to hear of her having
met with something horrible among all those
wretched places she pokes herself into. I
should never dare to go down some of those
streets without a servant. They're not fit
for ladies."

Dixon was still huffed about her despised
taste; so she replied, rather shortly:

"It's no wonder to my mind, when I hear
ladies talk such a deal about being ladies—
and when, they're such fearful, delicate,
dainty ladies too—I say it's no wonder to
me that there are no longer any saints on
earth——"

"Oh Margaret! here you are! I have been
so wanting you. But how your cheeks are
flushed with the heat, poor child! But only
think what that tiresome Henry has done;
Really, he exceeds brother-in-law's limits.
Just when my party was made up so beautifully
—fitted in so precisely for Mr. Colthurst
—there has Henry come, with an apology it
is true, and making use of your name for an
excuse, and asked me if he may bring that
Mr. Thornton of Milton—your tenant, you
know—who is in London about some law
business. It will spoil my number, quite."

"I don't mind dinner. I don't want any,"
said Margaret, in a low voice. "Dixon can
get me a cup of tea here, and I will be in the
drawing-room by the time you come up. I
shall really be glad to lie down."

"No, no! that will never do. You do look
wretchedly white to be sure; but that is just
the heat, and we can't do without you
possibly. (Those flowers a little lower, Dixon.
They look glorious flames in your black
hair.) You know we planned you to talk
about Milton to Mr. Colthurst. Oh! to be
sure! and this man comes from Milton. I
believe it will be capital, after all. Mr.
Colthurst can pump him well on all the subjects
in which he is interested, and it will be great
fun to trace out your experiences, and this
Mr. Thornton's wisdom, in Mr. Colthurst's
next speech in the House. Really, I think it
is a happy hit of Henry's. I asked him if he
was a man one would be ashamed of; and
he replied, 'Not if you've any sense in you,
my little sister.' So I suppose he is able to
sound his h's, which is not a common
Darkshire accomplishment—eh, Margaret?"

"Mr. Lennox did not say why Mr. Thornton
was come up to town? Was it law
business connected with the property?" asked
Margaret, in a constrained voice.

"Oh! he's failed, or something of the kind
that Henry told you of that day you had
such a headache,—what was it? (There,
that's capital, Dixon. Miss Hale does us
credit, does she not?) I wish I was as tall
as a queen, and as brown as a gipsy, Margaret."

"But about Mr. Thornton?"

"Oh! I really have such a terrible head
for law business. Henry will like nothing
better than to tell you all about it. I know
the impression he made upon me was, that
Mr. Thornton is very badly off, and a very
respectable man, and that I'm to be very
civil to him; and as I did not know how, I
came to you to ask you to help me. And
now come down with me, and rest on the
sofa for a quarter of an hour."

The privileged brother-in-law came early;
and Margaret, reddening as she spoke, began
to ask him the questions she wanted to hear
answered about Mr. Thornton.

"He came up about this sub-letting the
property—Marlborough Mills, and the house
and premises adjoining, I mean. He is unable
to keep it on; and there are deeds and leases
to be looked over, and agreements to be
drawn up. I hope Edith will receive him
properly, but she was rather put out, as I
could see, by the liberty I had taken in
begging for an invitation for him. But I
thought you would like to have some attention
shown him; and one would be particularly
scrupulous in paying every respect to a
man who is going down in the world." He
had dropped his voice to speak to Margaret,
by whom he was sitting; but as he ended he
sprang up, and introduced Mr. Thornton,
who had that moment entered, to Edith and
Captain Lennox.

Margaret looked with an anxious eye at
Mr. Thornton while he was thus occupied.
It was considerably more lhan a year
since she had seen him; and events had
occurred to change him much in that
time. His fine figure yet bore him above
the common height of men; and gave
him a distinguished appearance from the
ease of motion which arose out of it, and was
natural to him; but his face looked older
and care-worn; yet a noble composure sate
upon it, which impressed those who had just
been hearing of his changed position, with a
sense of inherent dignity and manly strength.
He was aware, from the first glance he had
given round the room, that Margaret was
there; he had seen her intent look of
occupation as she listened to Mr. Henry Lennox;
and he came up to her with the perfectly
regulated manner of an old friend. With,
his first calm words a vivid colour flashed
into her cheeks, which never left them again
during the evening. She did not seem to
have much to say to him. She disappointed
him by the quiet way in which she asked
what seemed to him to be the merely necessary
questions respecting her old acquaintance
in Milton; but others came in—more intimate
in the house than he—and he fell into
the background, where he and Mr. Lennox
talked together from time to time.

"You think Miss Hale looking well," said
Mr. Lennox, "don't you? Milton didn't
agree with her, I imagine; for when she
first came to London, I thought I had never
seen any one so much changed. To-night
she is looking radiant. But she is much
stronger. Last autumn she was fatigued
with a walk of a couple of miles. On Friday