inst the world's pleasures and vanities had
so often filled Rachel's bosom with awe!

Rachel sat silent, thinking of what had occurred at Mrs. Tappitt's;
and thinking also that she ought to make some little speech to her
friend, thanking her for all that she had done. Ought she not also to
apologise in some way for her own conduct? "What was that between you
and my cousin Walter?" Mrs. Cornbury asked, after a few moments.

"I hope I wasn't to blame," said Rachel. "But--"

"But what? Of course you weren't to blame;--unless it was in being
run after by so many gentlemen at once."

"He was going to take me down to supper,--and it was so kind of him.
And then while we were waiting because the room down-stairs was full,
there was another quadrille, and I was engaged to Mr. Rowan."

"Ah, yes; I understand. And so Master Walter got thrown once. His
wrath in such matters never lasts very long. Here we are at Bragg's
End. I've been so glad to have you with me; and I hope I may take
you again with me somewhere before long. Remember me kindly to your
mother. There she is at the door waiting for you." Then Rachel jumped
out of the carriage, and ran across the little gravel-path into the
house.

Mrs. Ray had been waiting up for her daughter, and had been listening
eagerly for the wheels of the carriage. It was not yet two o'clock,
and by ball-going people the hour of Rachel's return would have been
considered early; but to Mrs. Ray anything after midnight was very
late. She was not, however, angry, or even vexed, but simply pleased
that her girl had at last come back to her. "Oh, mamma, I'm afraid
it has been very hard upon you, waiting for me!" said Rachel; "but
I did come away as soon as I could." Mrs. Ray declared that she had
not found it all hard, and then,--with a laudable curiosity, seeing
how little she had known about balls,--desired to have an immediate
account of Rachel's doings.

"And did you get anybody to dance with you?" asked the mother,
feeling a mother's ambition that her daughter should have been
"respectit like the lave."

"Oh, yes; plenty of people asked me to dance."

"And did you find it come easy?"

"Quite easy. I was frightened about the waltzing, at first."

"Do you mean that you waltzed, Rachel?"

"Yes, mamma. Everybody did it. Mrs. Cornbury said she always waltzed
when she was a girl; and as the things turned out I could not help
myself. I began with her cousin. I didn't mean to do it, but