se you
spend half your days in those woods in summer."

"No; mamma goes out very little, and I seldom walk beyond the garden.
But now you are come, we shall go everywhere. Ours is considered a very
pretty village."

The sisters thought it so beautiful, that they gazed as if they feared
it would melt away if they withdrew their eyes. The one discovered the
bridge, lying in shadow; the other the pointed roof of the building
which surmounted the spring in the park woods. Sophia was well pleased
at their pleasure; and their questions, and her descriptions, went on
improving in rapidity, till a knock at the door of the room cut short
the catechism. It was Morris, the Miss Ibbotsons' maid; and her
appearance gave Sophia a hint to leave her guests to refresh themselves.
She glanced over the room, to see that nothing was wanting; pointed out
the bell, intimated that the washstands were mahogany, which showed
every splash, and explained that the green blinds were meant to be
always down when the sun shone in, lest it should fade the carpet. She
then withdrew, telling the young ladies that they would find tea ready
when they came down.

"How very handsome Hester is!" was the exclamation of both mother and
daughter, when Sophia had shut the drawing-room door behind her.

"I wonder," said Mrs Grey, "that nobody ever told us how handsome we
should find Hester. I should like to see what fault Mrs Rowland can
find in her face."

"It is rather odd that one sister should have all the beauty," said
Sophia. "I do not see anything striking in Margaret."

"Mrs Rowland will say she is plain; but, in my opinion, Margaret is
better looking than any of the Rowlands are ever likely to be. Margaret
would not be thought plain away from her sister.--I hope they are not
fine ladies. I am rather surprised at their bringing a maid. She looks
a very respectable person; but I did not suppose they would keep a maid
till they knew better what to look forward to. I do not know what Mr
Grey will think of it."

When Hester and Margaret came down, Mrs Grey was ready with an account
of the society of the place.

"We are as well off for society," said she, "as most places of the size.
If you were to ask the bookseller at Blickley, who supplies our club,
he would tell you that we are rather intellectual people: and I hope you
will see, when our friends have called on you, that though we seem to be
living out of the world, we are not without