ashamed of them, though there was no
more reason to be ashamed of their clothes at that time than there was
of their being proud of them when they were first put on.

[Illustration: "_Emily and Lucy had never seen such fine clothes
before._"--Page 52.]

When Miss Augusta was dressed, she said to the maid-servant,

"Take the candle and light me down to the hall." Then, turning to Emily
and Lucy, she added, "Will you come with me? I suppose you have not
brought any clean frocks to put on? Well, never mind; when we get into
the drawing-room you must keep behind your mamma's chair, and nobody
will take any notice of you."

So Miss Augusta walked first, with the maid-servant, and Henry, and
Lucy, and Emily followed. They went along the great gallery, and down
the stairs, and through several fine rooms, all lighted up with many
lamps and candles, till they came to the door where Sir Charles and
Lady Noble, and Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild, and a great many ladies and
gentlemen were sitting in a circle round a fire. Lucy and Emily and
Henry went and stood behind their mother's chair, and nobody took any
notice of them; but Miss Augusta went in among the company, curtseying
to one, giving her hand to another, and nodding and smiling at another.
"What a charming girl Miss Augusta has grown!" said one of the ladies.
"Your daughter, Lady Noble, will be quite a beauty," said another.
"What an elegant frock Miss Augusta has on!" said a third lady. "That
rose-coloured sash makes her sweet complexion more lovely than ever,"
said one of the gentlemen; and so they went on flattering her till she
grew more conceited and full of herself than ever; and during all the
rest of the evening she took no more notice of Mrs. Fairchild's
children than if they had not been in the room.

After the company had all drank tea, several tables were set out, and
the ladies and gentlemen began to make parties for playing at cards. As
Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild never played at cards, they asked for the coach,
and, when it was ready, wished Sir Charles and Lady Noble good-night,
and came away.

"Well," said little Henry, "Sir Charles Noble's may be a very fine
house, and everything may be very fine in it, but I like my own little
home and garden, and John, and the meadow, and the apple-trees, and the
round hill, and the lane, better than all the fine things at Sir
Charles's."

Now all this while Emily and Lucy did not speak a word; and what do you
think was