ants touched their hats.
The carriage resumed its slow motion, and Sir William rode beside it,
his hand on the door, and his countenance solemn as if he was on the
bench, instead of on horseback. The great blessing of the arrangement
was that everybody followed. Lady Hunter having come to see the mob,
the mob now, in return, went to see Lady Hunter: and while they were
cherishing their mutual interest, the family in the corner-house were
left in peace to prosecute their dinners. Philip threw up the window
which looked into the garden, and then ran down to bring Margaret some
flowers to refresh her senses after the hurry of the morning. Margaret
let down the chain of the hall door; and Morris laid the cloth, as she
had sent Charles to sweep down the steps and pavement before the house,
that all things might wear as much as possible their usual appearance.
Hester ordered up a bottle of her husband's best ale, and the servants
went about with something of the air peculiar to a day of frolic.

"Dear heart! Lady Hunter! Can it be your ladyship?" exclaimed Mrs
Howell, venturing to show her face at the door of her darkened shop, and
to make free entrance for her most exalted customer.

"Good heavens! your ladyship! Who would have thought of seeing your
ladyship here on such a day?" cried Miss Miskin.

"Where's Bob, Miss Miskin? Do, Miss Miskin, send Bob to take down the
shutters:--that is, if your ladyship thinks that Sir William would
recommend it. If Sir William thinks it safe,--that is my criterion."

"I hope we are all safe, now, Mrs Howell," replied the lady. "Sir
William's popularity is a most fortunate circumstance for us all, and
for the place at large."

"Oh dear, your ladyship! what should we be, not to estimate Sir William?
We have our faults, like other people: but really, if we did not know
how to value Sir William--"

"Thank Heaven!" said Miss Miskin, "we have not fallen so low as that.
Now your ladyship can see a little of our goings on--now the shutters
are down: but, dear heart! your ladyship would not have wondered at our
putting them up. I am sure I thought for my part, that that middle
shutter never would have gone up. It stuck, your ladyship--"

"Oh!" cried Mrs Howell, putting her hands before her face, as if the
recollection was even now too much for her, "the middle shutter stuck--
Bob had got it awry, and jammed it between the other two, and there,
nothing that Bob could do would move