ld not
have believed how I should tell him all: but he was so noble,--spoke so
gloriously,--that it would have been an insult to use any disguise. He
knows all that you know, Margaret,--and I am not ashamed."

"I honour you," said Margaret. "Thank God, all is right! But where is
Mr Hope all this time?"

"He went away when I came in. You will see him in the morning."

"Can you go down this evening? If you think you can--."

"Go down! Yes:--this moment. I feel as if I could face the whole
world."

"Let me ask one thing. May I tell Maria in the morning? She will be so
pleased! and no one but you understands my feelings so well. Everybody
will rejoice with me; but I can say anything to her. May I tell her all
in the morning?"

"Dear Maria! Oh, yes: tell her from me, with my love. I know I shall
have her blessing. Now let us go down."

"But we must just settle how matters are to proceed," said Margaret.
"Are the family to know or not?"

"Oh, let all that take its chance!" said Hester. "I am sure I do not
care. Let it be as it happens, for to-night at least."

"For to-night at least," agreed Margaret.

All was going on as usual below-stairs. The working of collars and of
rugs was proceeding, as the family sat round the lamp. On the
appearance of Hester and Margaret, the book, with the Society's cover on
it, was produced; and it was requested that some one would read aloud,
as it was necessary that forty pages a day should be gone through, to
get the volume done by the time it must be sent to Mrs Enderby. Sophia
asked whether some one else would be so good as to read this evening, as
she thought she could finish her collar by keeping steadily to it till
bedtime.

Margaret took the book, and was surprised to find how easy a process it
is to read aloud passably without taking in a word of the sense.
Fortunately the Greys were not much given, to make remarks on what they
read. To have gone through the books that came from the Society was
enough; and they could not have accomplished the forty pages an evening
if they had stopped to talk. The only words spoken during the lecture,
therefore, were occasional remarks that the reader seemed hoarse, and
that some one else had better take the book; and whispered requests
across the table for scissors, thread, or the adjustment of the light.
Such being the method of literary exercise in the family, Hester and
Margaret were able to think of anything they