now, seeing a
carriage, stood half irresolute what to do.

"Yes, that's Nelly," cried Dalton, springing down to the ground; "she'll
be off now, for she thinks it's visitors come to see the place."

While Dalton hastened to overtake his daughter, Mrs. Ricketts had time
to descend and shake out all her plumage,--a proceeding of manual
dexterity to which Martha mainly contributed; indeed, it was almost
artistic in its way, for while feathers were disposed to droop here, and
lace taught to fall gracefully there, the fair Zoe assumed the peculiar
mood in which she determined on conquest.

"How do I look, Martha?" said she, bridling up, and then smiling.

"Very sweetly,--quite charming," replied Martha.

"I know that," said the other, pettishly; "but am I maternal,--am I
affectionate?"

"Very maternal,----most affectionate," was the answer.

"You're a fool!" said Mrs. Ricketts, contemptuously; but had barely time
to restore her features to their original blandness, when Nelly came up.
The few words in which her father had announced Mrs. Ricketts spoke
of her as one who had known and been kind to Kate, and Nelly wanted no
stronger recommendation to her esteem.

The quiet, gentle manner of the young girl, the almost humble simplicity
of her dress, at once suggested to Mrs. Ricketts the tone proper for the
occasion, and she decided on being natural; which, to say truth, was
the most remote thing from nature it is well possible to conceive. Poor
Nelly was not, however, a very shrewd critic, and she felt quite happy
to be so much at her ease as they walked along to the house together.

Mrs. Ricketts saw that Kate was the key-note to all her sister's
affection, and therefore talked away of her unceasingly. To have heard
her, one would have thought they had been inseparable, and that Kate had
confided to the dear old lady the most secret thoughts of her heart. The
amiable Zoe did, indeed, contrive to effect this rather by the aid of
an occasional sigh, a tone of lamentation and sorrow, than by direct
assertion; all conveying the impression that she was cut to the heart
about something, but would rather be "brayed in a mortar" than tell
it. Martha's mild and submissive manner won rapidly on Nelly, and she
wondered whether Kate had liked her. In fact, the visitors were all
so very unlike the usual company her father presented to her, she felt
disposed to think the best of them; and even Scroope came in for a share
of her goo