old friend in more cheerful and matronly costume
presiding over the elegant belongings of a stout, well-to-do,
comfortable Mr. John Smith, as I moved about in the little room, and
exchanged mechanical smiles and greetings with the familiar guests. I
had settled the sober couple by their fireside, and was hesitating
between dove-colour and lavender-grey for the wedding silk, when Miss
Martha herself disturbed me before I had decided the important
question. I fancied a slight tremor in her voice as she said--

"'Mr. John Smith.'

"I dropped a more formal curtsey than I had hitherto done, as was due
to a stranger and a gentleman, and looked once at the object of my
benevolent fancies, and then down again at my mittens. His head was
just coming up from a low bow, and my instantaneous impression was,
'He wears a brown wig.' But in a moment more he was upright, and I saw
that he did not. And--he certainly was not suitable in point of age. I
took one more glance to make sure, and meeting his eyes, turned
hastily, and plunged into conversation with my nearest neighbour, not
noticing at the instant who it was. As I recovered from my momentary
confusion, I became aware that I was talking to the rector's wife, and
had advanced some opinions on the subject of the weather which she was
energetically disputing. I yielded gracefully, and went back to my
thoughts. I hope Miss Martha did not feel as I did the loss of that
suitable, comfortable, middle-aged partner my fancy had provided for
her. It did seem a pity that he had no existence. I thought that
probably marriage was the happiest condition for most people, and felt
inclined to discuss the question with the rector's wife, who had had
about twenty-two years' exemplary experience of that state. Then I
should like to have helped to choose the silk--

"At this point I was asked to play.

"I played some favourite things of Miss Brooke's and some of my own,
Mr. Smith turning over the leaves of my music; and then he was asked
to sing, and to my astonishment, prepared to accompany himself. Few
English gentlemen (if any) could accompany their own songs on the
pianoforte in my youth, Ida; most of them then had a wise idea that
the pianoforte was an instrument 'only fit for women,' and would have
as soon thought of trying to learn to play upon it as of studying the
spinning-wheel. I do not know that I had ever heard one play except my
father, who had lived much abroad. When Mr. Smith s