thought Mrs. Buckley; "I am afraid
she will be a daughter of debate among us. I wish she had not come
home." While Mrs. Mayford continued,--

"I am far from saying, mind you, my dear Mrs. Buckley, that I don't
consider Cecil might do far better for himself. The girl is pretty,
very pretty, and will have money. But she is too decided, my dear.
Fancy a girl of her age expressing opinions! Why, if I had ventured to
express opinions at her age, I----I don't know what my father would
have said."

"Depend very much on what sort of opinions they were; wouldn't it?"
said Mrs. Buckley.

"No; I mean any opinions. Girls ought to have no opinions at all.
There, last night when the young men were talking all together, she
must needs get red in the face and bridle up, and say, 'She thought an
Englishman who wasn't proud of Oliver Cromwell was unworthy of the name
of an Englishman.' Her very words, I assure you. Why, if my daughter
Ellen had dared to express herself in that way about a murderous
Papist, I'd have slapped her face."

"I don't think Cromwell was a Papist; was he?" said Mrs. Buckley.

"A Dissenter, then, or something of that sort," said Mrs. Mayford. "But
that don't alter the matter. What I don't like to see is a young girl
thrusting her oar in in that way. However, I shall make no opposition,
I can assure you. Cecil is old enough to choose for himself, and a
mother's place is to submit. Oh, no; I assure you, whatever my opinions
may be, I shall offer no opposition."

"I shouldn't think you would," said Mrs. Buckley, as the other left the
room: "rather a piece of luck for your boy to marry the handsomest and
richest girl in the country. However, madam, if you think I am going to
play a game of chess with you for that girl, or any other girl, why,
you are mistaken."

And yet it was very provoking. Ever since she had begun to hear from
various sources how handsome and clever Alice was, she had made up her
mind that Sam should marry her, and now to be put out like this by
people whom they had actually introduced into the house! It would be a
great blow to Sam too. She wished he had never seen her. She would
sooner have lost a limb than caused his honest heart one single pang.
But, after all, it might be only a little flirtation between her and
Cecil. Girls would flirt; but then there would be Mrs. Mayford
manoeuvring and scheming her heart out, while she, Agnes Buckley, was
constrained by her principles only to look