ous, I assure you."

"And nobody expects it of a medical man," echoed Mrs Grey.

Mr Hope did not reply, that he voted for other reasons than that it was
expected of him. He had argued the subject with Mr Grey before, and
knew that they must agree to differ. He quietly declared his intention
of voting for Mr Lowry, and then asked Sophia to take wine. His manner
left no resource to Mrs Grey but to express her feelings to his wife in
the drawing-room, after dinner.

She there drew Hester's arm within her own, and kindly observed what
pleasure it gave her to see her anticipations so fulfilled. She had had
this home, fitted up and inhabited as it now was, in her mind's eye for
a longer time than she should choose to tell. Elderly folks might be
allowed to look forward, and Mr Grey could bear witness that she had
done so. It was delightful to look round and see how all had come to
pass.

"Everybody is so interested!" observed Sophia. "Mrs Howell says, some
have observed to her what a pity it is that you are dissenters, so that
you will not be at church on Sunday. Everybody would be sure to be
there: and she says she is of opinion that, considering how many friends
wish to see you make your first appearance, you ought to go, for once.
She cannot imagine what harm it could do you to go for once. But,
whatever you may think about that, it shows her interest, and I thought
you would like to know it. Have you seen Mrs Howell's window?"

"My dear! how should they?" exclaimed her mother.

"I forgot they could not go out before Sunday. But, Margaret you must
look at Mrs Howell's window the first thing when you can get out. It
is so festooned with purple and white, that I told Miss Miskin I thought
they would be obliged to light up in the daytime, they have made the
shop so dark."

"And they have thrust all the green and orange into the little side
window, where nobody can see it!" cried Sydney.

"You managed to see it, I perceive," said Hester; Sydney having at the
moment mounted a cockade, and drawn out his green and orange
watch-ribbon into the fullest view. William Levitt lost no time in
going through the same process with his purple and white.

"You will be the ornaments of Deerbrook," said Margaret, "if you walk
about in that gay style. I hope I shall have the pleasure of meeting
you both in the street, that I may judge of the effect."

"They will have lost their finery by that time," said Sophia. "We h