_ might have escaped the eyes so keen set to find them.
The paper grew better than a novel. It furnished a great deal of matter
for conversation, besides; for all the steamers which had got in were
talked over, with their dates of sailing, and number of days on the
passage; with each of which the times, certain and probable, of the
_City of Pride_ were compared. Then there was the question, whether
Aunt Candy might have changed her mind at the last minute, and waited
for another steamer; and the reports of the weather lately experienced
at sea were anxiously read and put alongside of the weather lately
experienced at Shadywalk.

Preparations in the house went on diligently; whatever might help it to
make a better impression, or afford greater comfort to the expected
guests, was carefully done. Mrs. Englefield even talked of getting a
new stair-carpet, but contented herself with having the old one taken
up and put down again, the stairs washed, and the stair-rods
brightened; the spare room, the large corner chamber looking to the
north and west, was scrupulously swept and dusted; furniture rubbed;
little white knitted mats laid on the dressing-table; the chintz
curtains taken down and put up again; a new nice chamber set of white
china was bought, for the pitcher of the old set had an ugly nick in it
and looked shabby; the towel rack was filled with white napery; the
handsomest Marseilles quilt was spread on the bed; the stove was
blackened and polished. It looked "very respectable," Anne said, when
all was done.

What private preparations went on, besides, on the part of the girls,
it would be hard to say. Maria worked hard at her braiding--that was
open to anybody's observation; but there were less obvious flutings and
ironings down in the kitchen, and adjusting of ribbons and flowers in
secret consultations up-stairs. And one piece of care was made public
by Maria, who announced that Letty had trimmed her old bonnet three
times over before she would be suited.

"Very well," said Letty, contentedly. "I should like to know who would
wear an old thing when he could have a new; and mine is like new now."

"Things can't be new always," said Matilda.

"What then?" her sisters asked, laughing.

"Then it must be respectable for them to be old, sometimes."

"Respectable! Not very pleasant, when they are to be set alongside of
things as new and nice as they can be. I like to be as good as anybody,
for my part."

"Mamm