gnised to a certainty by Margaret. While the
other ladies were pushing back their chairs, to break up the appearance
of a gossip, and make room for another party of visitors, Margaret was
wholly occupied with contriving to sit upright, notwithstanding the
dimness that came over her sight.

It was he. He entered the room quickly, looked taller than ever, as
Sophia thought to herself, and more than ever like a Polish Count, now
that his blue great-coat was buttoned up to the chin. He stopped for
half a moment on seeing ladies in cloaks and bonnets, and then came
forward, and shook hands with everybody. Hester observed that he looked
full at Margaret as he held out his hand to her; but Margaret did not
see this, for, though she commanded herself wonderfully, she could not
meet his eye. Of course, he was asked when he arrived, and had to
answer the question, and also the remarks which were made on the length
of his absence, and on the expectations of everybody in Deerbrook that
he would have visited the old place at Christmas or New Year. He was
then pitied on account of the state of his mother's health. To this he
made no reply whatever; but when Mrs Grey inquired how he found Mrs
Enderby, he briefly--somewhat abruptly--answered that he thought her
very ill. It was equally impossible for Margaret to sit totally silent
while all this was going on, and to address herself to him: she
therefore kept some conversation with Sophia on the greenhouse, and the
fate of the evergreens in the shrubbery, in consequence of the severity
of the frost in January--which laurestinus had been lost, and how the
arbutus had suffered, and how long it would be before the laurels on the
grass could grow up to their former size and beauty. While Sophia was
telling that the greenhouse occupied a great deal of time, and that she
had therefore turned over her interest in it to Sydney, and begged the
little girls to divide her garden between them, Mr Enderby was seen to
take Hester into the window, and after remarking upon the snowdrops
beneath, to speak privately to her. Margaret was afraid Mrs Grey would
take the hint, and go away. Her presence now appeared a sort of
protection, which Margaret exerted herself to retain, by not allowing
the conversation to flag. She need not have feared; Mrs Grey was
turning over in her mind how she might best introduce her
congratulations on Mr Enderby's engagement, and her inquiries after
Miss Bruce's we