every meal, for a continuance; and
Hester found her anticipations of delight in a country life somewhat
damped, by the idea of the frowning ghost of the obnoxious lady being
for ever present.

CHAPTER FOUR.

MORNING CALLS.

The little girls had been dismissed to the schoolroom before Mr Grey
had finally pushed away his tea-cup. Not being wanted by the ladies, he
walked off to his timber-yard, and his wife followed to ask him some
question not intended for the general ear. Sophia was struck with a
sudden panic at being left alone with the strangers, and escaped by
another door into the store-room. As the last traces of the breakfast
things vanished, Hester exclaimed--

"So we may please ourselves, it seems, as to what we are to do with our
morning!"

"I hope so," said Margaret. "Do let us get down to the meadow we see
from our window--the meadow that looks so flat and green! We may very
well take two hours' grace before we need sit down here in form and
order."

Hester was willing, and the bonnets were soon on. As Margaret was
passing down stairs again, she saw Mrs Grey and Sophia whispering in a
room, the door of which stood open. She heard it shut instantly, and
the result of the consultation soon appeared. Just as the sisters were
turning out of the house, Sophia ran after them to say that mamma wished
they would be so good as to defer their walk; mamma was afraid that if
they were seen abroad in the village, it would be supposed that they did
not wish to receive visitors: mamma would rather that they should stay
within this morning. There was nothing for it but to turn back; and
Hester threw down her bonnet with no very good grace, as she observed to
her sister that, to all appearance, a town life was more free than a
country one, after all.

"Let us do our duty fully this first morning," said Margaret. "Look, I
am going to carry down my work-bag; and you shall see me sit on the same
chair from this hour till dinner-time, unless I receive directions to
the contrary."

The restraint did not amount to this. Hester's chair was placed
opposite to Mrs Grey, who seemed to have pleasure in gazing at her, and
in indulging in audible hints and visible winks and nods about her
beauty, to every lady visitor who eat near her. Margaret might place
herself where she pleased. In the intervals of the visits of the
morning, she was treated with a diversity of entertainments by Sophia,
who occasionally su