ty of Ethelberta's
appearance in public, said, with remote meanings, 'Perhaps it is not
altogether a severe punishment to her to be looked at by well-dressed
men. Suppose she feels it as a blessing, instead of an affliction?'

'She is a different sort of woman, Faith, and so you would say if you
knew her. Of course, it is natural for you to criticize her severely
just now, and I don't wish to defend her.'

'I think you do a little, Kit.'

'No; I am indifferent about it all. Perhaps it would have been better
for me if I had never seen her; and possibly it might have been better
for her if she had never seen me. She has a heart, and the heart is a
troublesome encumbrance when great things have to be done. I wish you
knew her: I am sure you would like each other.'

'O yes,' said Faith, in a voice of rather weak conviction. 'But, as we
live in such a plain way, it would be hardly desirable at present.'

* * * * *

Ethelberta being regarded, in common with the latest conjurer, spirit-
medium, aeronaut, giant, dwarf or monarch, as a new sensation, she was
duly criticized in the morning papers, and even obtained a notice in some
of the weekly reviews.

'A handsome woman,' said one of these, 'may have her own reasons for
causing the flesh of the London public to creep upon its bones by her
undoubtedly remarkable narrative powers; but we question if much good can
result from such a form of entertainment. Nevertheless, some praise is
due. We have had the novel-writer among us for some time, and the novel-
reader has occasionally appeared on our platforms; but we believe that
this is the first instance on record of a Novel-teller--one, that is to
say, who relates professedly as fiction a romantic tale which has never
been printed--the whole owing its chief interest to the method whereby
the teller identifies herself with the leading character in the story.'

Another observed: 'When once we get away from the magic influence of the
story-teller's eye and tongue, we perceive how improbable, even
impossible, is the tissue of events to which we have been listening with
so great a sense of reality, and we feel almost angry with ourselves at
having been the victims of such utter illusion.'

'Mrs. Petherwin's personal appearance is decidedly in her favour,' said
another. 'She affects no unconsciousness of the fact that form and
feature are no mean vehicles of persuasion, and she uses the powers of
each to the utmost. T