, bustling up and pulling
off her spectacles. Then, running across the room, she shut the door
mysteriously, and turned to Mrs. Scudder with the air of an impending
secret. Miss Prissy was subject to sudden impulses of confidence, in
which she was so very cautious that not the thickest oak-plank door
seemed secure enough, and her voice dropped to its lowest key. The most
important and critical words were entirely omitted, or supplied by a
knowing wink and a slight stamp of the foot.

In this mood she now approached Mrs. Scudder, and, holding up her hand
on the door-side to prevent consequences, if, after all she should be
betrayed into a loud word, she said, "I thought I'd just say, Miss
Scudder, that, in case Mary should ---- the Doctor,--in case, you know,
there should be a ---- in the house, you _must_ just contrive it so as
to give me a month's notice, so that I could give you a whole fortnight
to fix her up as such a good man's ---- ought to be. Now I know how
spiritually-minded our blessed Doctor is; but, bless you, Ma'am, he's
got eyes. I tell you, Miss Scudder, these men, the best of 'em, _feel_
what's what, though they don't _know_ much. I saw the Doctor look at
Mary that night I dressed her for the wedding-party. I tell you he'd
like to have his wife look pretty well, and he'll get up some blessed
text or other about it, just as he did that night about being brought
unto the king in raiment of needle-work. That is an encouraging thought
to us sewing-women.

"But this thing was spoken of after the meeting. Miss Twitchel and Miss
Jones were talking about it; and they all say that there would be the
best setting-out got for her that was ever seen in Newport, if it should
happen. Why, there's reason in it. She ought to have at least two real
good India silks that will stand alone,--and you'll see she'll have 'em,
too; you let me alone for that; and I was thinking, as I lay awake last
night, of a new way of making up, that you will say is just the sweetest
that ever you did see. And Miss Jones was saying that she hoped there
wouldn't anything happen without her knowing it, because her husband's
sister in Philadelphia has sent her a new receipt for cake, and she has
tried it and it came out beautifully, and she says she'll send some in."

All the time that this stream was flowing, Mrs. Scudder stood with the
properly reserved air of a discreet matron, who leaves all such matters
to Providence, and is not supposed