e, and he contained himself. Later, the ladies told
him that Gainsford had done no worse than any uneducated man would have
been guilty of doing. Mrs. Chump had, it appeared, a mother's feeling for
one flat curl on her rugged forehead, which was often fondly caressed by
her, for the sake of ascertaining its fixity. Doubts of the precision of
outline and general welfare of this curl, apparently, caused her to
straighten her back and furtively raise her head, with an easy upward
motion, as of a cork alighted in water, above the level of the
looking-glass on her left hand--an action she repeated, with a solemn
aspect, four times; at which point Gainsford gave way. The ladies
accorded him every extenuation for the offence. They themselves, but for
the heroism of exalted natures, must have succumbed to the gross
temptation. "It is difficult, dear papa, to bring one's mind to religious
thoughts in her company, even when she is quiescent," they said. Thus, by
the prettiest exercise of charity that can be conceived, they pleaded for
the man Gainsford, while they struck a blow at Mrs. Chump; and in
performing one of the virtues laid down by religion, proved their enemy
to be hostile to its influences.

Mrs. Chump was this morning very late. The office of morning reader was
new to Mr. Pole, who had undertaken it, when first Squire of Brookfield,
at the dictate of the ladies his daughters; so that, waiting with the
book before him and his audience expectant, he lacked composure, spoke
irritably in an under-breath of 'that woman,' and asked twice whether she
was coming or not. At last the clump of her feet was heard approaching.
Mr. Pole commenced reading the instant she opened the door. She stood
there, with a face like a petrified Irish outcry. An imploring sound of
"Pole! Pole!" issued from her. Then she caught up one hand to her mouth,
and rolled her head, in evident anguish at the necessitated silence. A
convulsion passed along the row of maids, two of whom dipped to their
aprons; but the ladies gazed with a sad consciousness of wicked glee at
the disgust she was exciting in the bosom of their father.

"Will you shut the door?" Mr. Pole sternly addressed Mrs. Chump, at the
conclusion of the first prayer.

"Pole! ye know that money ye gave me in notes? I must speak, Pole!"

"Shut the door."

Mrs. Chump let go the door-handle with a moan. The door was closed by
Gainsford, now one of the gravest of footmen. A chair was placed