e; the
anticipation of a yawn on the part of any guest, or of such a silence as
may make the creaking of the footboy's shoes heard at dinner, or the
striking of the hall clock in the evening--these are the apprehensions
which make the young wife wish herself on the other side of her first
dinner-party, and render alluring the prospect of sitting down next day
to hash or cold fowl, followed by odd custards and tartlets, with a
stray mince-pie. Where a guest so experienced and so vigilant as Mrs
Grey is expected, the anxiety is redoubled, and the servants are sure to
discover it by some means or other. Morris woke, this Saturday morning,
with the feeling that something great was to happen that day; and Sally
began to be sharp with the footboy as early as ten o'clock. Hester and
Margaret were surprised to find how soon there was nothing more left for
them to do. The wine was decanted, the dessert dished up in the little
storeroom, and even the cake cut for tea, soon enough to leave almost
the whole morning to be spent as usual. Margaret sat down to study
German, and Hester to read. She had just observed that they could not
expect to see Edward for some hours, as he had been sent for to the
almshouses, and meant to pay a country visit which would cost him a
circuit on his return. These almshouses were six miles off; and when
Mr Hope was sent for by one of the inmates, nearly all the rest were
wont to discover that they ailed more or less; so that their medical
guardian found it no easy matter to get away, and his horse had learned,
by practice, to stand longer there than anywhere else without fidgeting.
Knowing this, Margaret fully agreed to her sister's proposition, that
it must be some hours before Edward could appear. In a little while,
however, Hester threw down her book, and took up her work, laying her
watch just under her eyes upon the table.

"Do you mean to do that for life, when your husband takes a country
ride?" said Margaret, laughing.

"I hate these everlasting country rides!" cried Hester. "I do wish he
would give up those almshouses."

"Give them up!"

"Yes: they are nothing but trouble and anxiety. The old folks are never
satisfied, and never would be, if he lived among them, and attended to
nobody else. And as often as he goes there, he is sure to be more
wanted here than at any other time. There is another knock. There have
been two people wanting him within this hour; and a country gentl