er brow slightly bent, when her guests entered; but all was right
when Edward followed, looking perfectly at leisure, and stood talking
before the fire, as if he had been a man of no profession.

Mr Hope had caused his feelings to be so well understood on one
important subject, that it was necessary to respect them; and no mention
of the Rowlands was made, either before dinner or in the presence of the
servants. Nor was there any need of the topic. There was abundance to
be said, without having recourse to doubtful subjects; and Margaret
became so far relieved from all apprehension on this account, by the
time the cheese appeared, that she assured herself that the day was
passing off extremely well. There had not been a single pause left to
be filled up with the clatter of knives and forks. Mrs Grey pronounced
the room delightfully warm; Sophia protested that she liked having the
fire at her back; and Mr Grey inquired where Hope got his ale. The
boys, who had looked for the first half-hour as if they could not speak
for the stiffness of their collars, were now in a full career of jokes,
to judge by their stifled laughter. Hester blushed beautifully at every
little circumstance that occurred, and played the hostess very
gracefully. The day was going off extremely well.

The approaching county election was the principal topic at dinner, as it
was probably at every dinner-table in Deerbrook. Mrs Grey first told
Hope, at the bottom of the table, all about her wonder at seeing seven
or eight gentlemen on horseback entering their field. She was
exceedingly surprised to observe such a troop approaching the door: and
she hardly knew what to make of it when the servant came in to say that
the gentlemen wished to see her, as Mr Grey was at a distance--at
market that day. It was strange that she should so entirely forget that
there was to be an election soon. To be sure, it might have occurred to
her that the party came to canvass Mr Grey: but she did not happen to
remember at first; and she thought the gentleman who was spokesman
excessively complimentary, both about the place and about some other
things, till he mentioned his name, and that he was candidate for the
county. Such a highly complimentary strain was not to her taste, she
acknowledged; and it lost all its value when it was made so common as in
this instance. This gentleman had kissed the little Rowlands all round,
she had since been assured:--not that she