Ladies' Circle, her First
Charitable, and taking in a whole world of pleasure in Sophia's waiting
presence, her welcoming smile, her voice asking for the news. And if
Sophia were asking for the news, news there must be to give Sophia! And
she went about with fresh eagerness, and dropped in here, there, and
everywhere, and picked up items at every corner to retail to Sophia. She
found it a little difficult to please Sophia about the table. Used to
all the variety of a public-house, Mrs. Maybury did not take very
kindly to the simple fare, did not quite understand why three people
must be a whole week getting through with a roast,--a roast that, served
underdone, served overdone, served cold, served warmed up with herbs,
served in a pie, made five dinners; she didn't quite see why one must
have salt fish on every Saturday, and baked beans on Sunday; she
hankered after the flesh-pots that, when she had them, she had found
tiresome, and than which she had frequently remarked she would rather
have the simplest home-made bread and butter. Apples, too. Mrs.
Cairnes's three apple-trees had been turned to great account in her
larder always; but now,--Mrs. Maybury never touched apple-sauce,
disliked apple-jelly, thought apple-pie unfit for human digestion,
apple-pudding worse; would have nothing with apples in it, except the
very little in mince-pie which she liked as rich as brandy and sherry
and costly spices could make it.

"No profit in this sort of boarder," thought the thrifty Mrs. Cairnes.
But then she didn't have Sophia for profit, only for friendliness and
companionship; and of course there must be some little drawbacks. Sophia
was not at all slow in expressing her likes and dislikes. Well, Mrs.
Cairnes meant she should have no more dislikes to express than need be.
Nevertheless, it made Mrs. Cairnes quite nervous with apprehension
concerning Mrs. Maybury's face on coming to the dinner-table; she left
off having roasts, and had a slice of steak; chops and tomato-sauce; a
young chicken. But even that chicken had to make its reappearance till
it might have been an old hen. "I declare," said Mrs. Cairnes, in the
privacy of her own emotions, "when I lived by myself I had only one
person to please! If Sophia had ever been any sort of a housekeeper
herself--it's easy to see why Dr. Maybury chose to live at a hotel!"
Still the gentle face opposite her at the table, the lively warmth of a
greeting when she opened the door, the d