her; but he preferred stepping over to Mrs
Enderby's, where Mr Hope had just been seen to enter. Mr Rowland
concluded by saying, that he should accept it as a favour in Miss
Ibbotson, as well as Miss Young, if she would steadily refuse to gratify
any impertinent curiosity shown by his children, in whatever direction
it might show itself. They were exposed to great danger from example in
Deerbrook, like most children brought up in small villages, he supposed:
and he owned he dreaded the idea of his children growing up the scourges
to society that he considered foolish and malignant gossips to be.

"Do sit down, Margaret," said Maria. "I shall feel uncomfortable when
you are gone, if you do not stay a minute to turn our thoughts to
something pleasanter than this terrible mistake of poor George's."

"I cannot stay now, however," said Margaret, smiling. "You know I must
go and turn my sister's thoughts to something pleasanter. There she is,
sitting at home, waiting to know how all this has happened."

"Whether she has not been insulted? You are right, Margaret. Make
haste back to her, and beg her pardon for us all. Shall she not,
children, if she will be so kind?"

Margaret was overwhelmed with the petitions for pardon she had to carry;
and not one of the children asked what Mrs Hope had been crying for,
after all.

Hester looked up anxiously as Margaret entered the drawing-room at home.

"It is all a trifle," said Margaret, gaily.

"How can it be a trifle?"

"The little Greys told what they saw yesterday, of course; and one of
the little Rowlands wondered what was the reason;--(children can never
understand what grown people, who have no lessons to learn, can cry for,
you know); and Mr Rowland, to make their gossip ridiculous to
themselves, told them they had better come and ask; and poor George, who
cannot take a joke, came without any one knowing where he was gone.
They were all in great consternation when I told them, and there is an
ample apology coming to you through Edward. That is the whole story,
except that Mr Rowland would have come himself to you, instead of going
to your husband, but that he was ashamed of his joke. So there is an
end of that silly matter, unless it be to make George always ask
henceforth whether people are in joke or in earnest."

"I think Mr Rowland might have come to me," observed Hester. "Are you
sure Mrs Rowland had nothing to do with it?"

"I neither saw her nor hea