she had never liked at all, what she now
cared for so much.

The winter portended no lack of excitement. Miss Faithfull's rooms
were engaged. When Miss Mercy ran in breathless to Mrs. Frost with the
tidings, she little knew what feelings were excited; the hope and fear,
the doubt and curiosity; the sense of guilt towards the elder nephew,
in not preventing what she could not prevent, the rejoicing on behalf
of the younger nephew; the ladylike scorn of the motives that brought
the lodgers; yet the warm feeling towards what was dear to Louis and
admired by Jem.

What a flapping and battering of carpets on the much-enduring stump!
What furious activity of Martha! What eager help of little Charlotte,
who was in a perfect trepidation of delight at the rumour that a real
beauty, fit for a heroine, was coming! What trotting hither and
thither of Miss Mercy! What netting of blinds and stitching of chintz
by Miss Salome! What envy and contempt on the part of other landladies
on hearing that Miss Faithfull's apartments were engaged for the whole
winter! What an anxious progress was Miss Mercy's, when she conducted
Mrs. Frost and Mary to a final inspection! and what was her triumph
when Mary, sitting down on the well-stuffed arm-chair, pronounced that
people who would not come there did not understand what comfort was.

Every living creature gazed--Mrs. Frost through her blind, Mary behind
her hydrangea in the balcony, Charlotte from her attic window,--when
the lodgers disembarked in full force--two ladies, two children, one
governess, three maids, two men, two horses, one King Charles's
spaniel! Let it be what it might, it was a grand windfall for the Miss
Faithfulls.

Mary's heart throbbed as the first carriage thundered upon the gravel,
and a sudden swelling checked her voice as she was about to exclaim
'There she is!' when the second lady emerged, and moved up the garden
path. She was veiled and mantled; but accustomed as was Mary's eye to
the Spanish figure and walk, the wonderful grace of movement and
deportment struck her as the very thing her eye had missed ever since
she left Peru. What the rest of the strangers were like, she knew not;
she had only eyes for the creature who had won Louis's affection, and
doubtless deserved it, as all else that was precious.

'So they are come, Charlotte,' said Mrs. Frost, as the maiden demurely
brought in the kettle.

'Yes, ma'am;' and stooping to put the kettle on, and