ggins. She who is to
be married next month. 'Middlemass,' she said, when she saw it, 'I'm in
love with it. It has a sheen about it, and a quality. Cut me twenty
yards, Middlemass; I do declare I'll wear it for my travelling dress,
and no other.' She'll do it, too, Miss Matty, you'll see. And beautiful
she'll look."

The three girls sighed. They sighed in unison. As there was a lover in
the question, the two younger were willing that Matty should have a new
frock. But a silk! Each girl wanted the silk for herself.

"It is exquisite," said Matty.

"Exquisite," repeated Alice.

"Quisite," said Sophy.

"I'll put it away for you, miss," said the pedler, beginning to pack up
her other things. "There, take it, miss," she said, flinging a long
sweep of the glittering texture over Matty's arm. "Now, it does become
you, my dear. Doesn't it, ma'am?" turning to the mother. "Well, now,
I never noticed it before, but Miss Matty has a great look of Lady
Georgiana. Remarkable likeness! You wouldn't be known from her, miss
when you had that dress on. Their eyes! the complexion! the figure! all
ditto, ditto, ditto."

The girls smiled; but what amount of flattery will not one accept when
judiciously offered? They were all pleased to hear Mrs. Middlemass
compare one of their number to Lady Georgiana, although they knew
perfectly that the pedler had never in the whole course of her life even
spoken to that young lady, who was a head and shoulders taller than
Matty, and as unlike her in all particulars as a girl could be.

"There!" said the pedler. "Three pound ten! Dirt-cheap. Going, you may
say, for nothing, and because it's the last piece I have of it. Lady
Georgiana paid me seven pounds for the length I cut her this morning.
I'd like to see you in this dress, Miss Matty, and, maybe, if all
reports is true, you'll want me to sell you something different, and
more--more--well, more, perhaps, bridal-like, by-and-bye, my pretty
young lady."

This last speech finished the fate of the silk. If rumor had reached
down to the strata of pedlers, etc., it simply could not be disregarded.
Mrs. Bell bargained and haggled for the best part of an hour. She
stripped herself of many necessary garments, and even ransacked her very
meagre little collection of jewelry. Finally the purchase was completed
with the sale of the ring which Bell had given her on the day when he
had gone down on his knees for the third and successful time. That ring,
of