e disgusted him. Alice could
love deeply, but could not talk about it. The perpetual requirement
of loving words, looks, and caresses, and misconstruing their absence
into absence of love, had been the great trial of her former married
life. Now, all went on clear and straight, under the guidance of her
husband's strong sense, warm heart, and powerful will. Year by year
their worldly prosperity increased. At Mrs Wilson's death, Norah came
back to them as nurse to the newly-born little Edwin; into which post
she was not installed without a pretty strong oration on the part of
the proud and happy father, who declared that if he found out that
Norah ever tried to screen the boy by a falsehood, or to make him
nesh either in body or mind, she should go that very day. Norah and
Mr Openshaw were not on the most thoroughly cordial terms; neither of
them fully recognizing or appreciating the other's best qualities.

This was the previous history of the Lancashire family who had now
removed to London.

They had been there about a year, when Mr Openshaw suddenly informed
his wife that he had determined to heal long-standing feuds, and had
asked his uncle and aunt Chadwick to come and pay them a visit and
see London. Mrs Openshaw had never seen this uncle and aunt of her
husband's. Years before she had married him, there had been a quarrel.
All she knew was, that Mr Chadwick was a small manufacturer in a
country town in South Lancashire. She was extremely pleased that the
breach was to be healed, and began making preparations to render their
visit pleasant.

They arrived at last. Going to see London was such an event to them,
that Mrs Chadwick had made all new linen fresh for the occasion--from
night-caps downwards; and as for gowns, ribbons, and collars, she
might have been going into the wilds of Canada where never a shop is,
so large was her stock. A fortnight before the day of her departure
for London, she had formally called to take leave of all her
acquaintance; saying she should need every bit of the intermediate
time for packing up. It was like a second wedding in her imagination;
and, to complete the resemblance which an entirely new wardrobe made
between the two events, her husband brought her back from Manchester,
on the last market-day before they set off, a gorgeous pearl and
amethyst brooch, saying, 'Lunnon should see that Lancashire folks knew
a handsome thing when they saw it.'

For some time after Mr and Mrs C