ith her
carriage and horses."

"Tell her of it!" said Miss Mackenzie.

"A great many ladies would, and would go over to the enemy before the
month was over, unless she brought the carriage in the meantime. I
don't advise you to do so. You haven't got standing enough in the
place yet, and perhaps she could put you down."

"But it makes no difference to me how she comes."

"None in the least, my dear, or to me either. I should be glad to see
her even in a wheelbarrow for my part. But you mustn't suppose that
she ever comes to me. Lord bless you! no. She found me out to be past
all grace ever so many years ago."

"Mrs Stumfold thinks that Aunt Sally is the old gentleman himself,"
said the elder of the girls.

"Ha, ha, ha," laughed the aunt. "You see, Miss Mackenzie, we run very
much into parties here, as they do in most places of this kind, and
if you mean to go thoroughly in with the Stumfold party you must tell
me so, candidly, and there won't be any bones broken between us. I
shan't like you the less for saying so: only in that case it won't be
any use our trying to see much of each other."

Miss Mackenzie was somewhat frightened, and hardly knew what answer
to make. She was very anxious to have it understood that she was not,
as yet, in bond under Mrs Stumfold--that it was still a matter of
choice to herself whether she would be a saint or a sinner; and she
would have been so glad to hint to her neighbour that she would like
to try the sinner's line, if it were only for a month or two; only
Miss Todd frightened her! And when the girl told her that Miss Todd
was regarded, ex parte Stumfold, as being the old gentleman himself,
Miss Mackenzie again thought for an instant that there would be
safety in giving way to the evangelico-ecclesiastical influence, and
that perhaps life might be pleasant enough to her if she could be
allowed to go about in couples with that soft Miss Baker.

"As you have been so good as to call," said Miss Mackenzie, "I hope
you will allow me to return your visit."

"Oh, dear, yes--shall be quite delighted to see you. You can't hurt
me, you know. The question is, whether I shan't ruin you. Not that I
and Mr Stumfold ain't great cronies. He and I meet about on neutral
ground, and are the best friends in the world. He knows I'm a lost
sheep--a gone 'coon, as the Americans say--so he pokes his fun at me,
and we're as jolly as sandboys. But St Stumfolda is made of sterner
metal, and will not