shook out her fine watered silk and said, 'It positively is improper to
place ladies in contact with such squalid objects.'"

"Ladies!" cried Ethel. "A stationer's daughter and a banker's clerk's!
Why do they come to teach at school at all?"

"Because our example makes it genteel," said Flora.

"I hope you did something more in hopes of making it genteel."

"I caught one of your ragged regiment with her frock gaping behind, and
pinned it up. Such rags as there were under it! Oh, Ethel!"

"Which was it?"

"That merry Irish-looking child. I don't know her name."

"Oh! it is a real charming Irish name, Una M'Carthy. I am so glad you
did it, Flora. I hope they were ashamed."

"I doubt whether it will do good. We are sure of our station and can do
anything--they are struggling to be ladies."

"But we ought not to talk of them any more, Flora; here we are almost at
the churchyard."

The Tuesday of this week was appointed for the visit of the London
surgeon, Sir Matthew Fleet, and the expectation caused Dr. May to talk
much to Margaret of old times, and the days of is courtship, when it
had been his favourite project that his friend and fellow-student should
marry Flora Mackenzie, and there had been a promising degree of liking,
but "Mat" had been obliged to be prudent, and had ended by never
marrying at all. This the doctor, as well as his daughters, believed was
for the sake of Aunt Flora, and thus the girls were a good deal excited
about his coming, almost as much on his own account, as because they
considered him as the arbiter of Margaret's fate. He only came in time
for a seven o'clock dinner, and Margaret did not see him that night, but
heard enough from her sisters, when they came up to tell the history of
their guest, and of the first set dinner when Flora had acted as lady
of the house. The dinner it appeared had gone off very well. Flora
had managed admirably, and the only mishap was some awkward carving of
Ethel's which had caused the dish to be changed with Norman. As to the
guest, Flora said he was very good-looking and agreeable. Ethel abruptly
pronounced, "I am very glad Aunt Flora married Uncle Arnott instead."

"I can't think why," said Flora. "I never saw a person of pleasanter
manners."

"Did they talk of old times?" said Margaret.

"No," said Ethel; "that was the thing."

"You would not have them talk of those matters in the middle of dinner,"
said Flora.

"No," again said Ethel; "but p