hen she raised her eyes, after
conquering the laugh, was amazed to find how far advanced was the state
dinner, usually so interminable. Her inquiries after the Athenian owl
led to a diverting history of its capture at the Parthenon, and the
adventures in bringing it home. She was sorry when she found Lady
Martindale rising, while Mr. Fotheringham, as he drew back his chair,
said, 'How shall you get on with Prae-Raffaelitism? I should like to set
her and Aunt Nesbit together by the ears!'

Certainly it was not convenient to be asked by Emma what made her look
so much amused.

She felt as if it would be much pleasanter to show off her babe without
the stranger, and was glad to find that Miss Marstone had fallen into
a discussion with Theodora, and both looked much too eager to be
interrupted.

So Violet fairly skipped up-stairs before her friends, turning round to
speak to them with such smiling glee, that Lady Elizabeth dismissed
all fears of her present well-doing. Emma fell into raptures over her
godson's little cot, and quoted the "Folded Lambs", and "Pearls of the
Deep", another as yet unpublished tale of her friend's, to teach his
mother how to educate him, and stood by impatiently contemning the
nursery hints which Violet was only too anxious to gather up from Lady
Elizabeth.

'And are you not charmed with her!' said Emma, as they went down-stairs.

'I have seen so little of her,' replied Violet, embarrassed. 'Why does
she dress in that way?'

'That is just what I say,' observed Lady Elizabeth. 'I was sorry to see
her in that dress this evening.'

'Mamma does not like it,' said Emma; 'but Theresa feels it such a
privilege not to be forced to conform to the trammels of fashions and
nonsense.'

'She does everything on high principle,' said Lady Elizabeth, as if she
was trying to bring her mind as usual into unison with her daughter's.
'She is a very superior person, and one does not like to find fault with
what is done on right motives; but I should be sorry to see Emma follow
the same line. I have always been taught that women should avoid being
conspicuous.'

'That I could never bear to be, mamma,' said Emma; 'but Theresa is of a
firmer, less shrinking mould.'

Lady Elizabeth repeated that she was a very superior person, but was
evidently not happy in her guest.

Miss Marstone was holding earnest tete-a-tetes all the evening, but
Violet having sheltered herself under Lady Elizabeth's wing, escaped th