er was not a woman of the
world; but it was just possible that in this difficulty her mother
might assist her. Her mother might at any rate ask of others, and
there was no one else whom she could trust to seek such information
for her. And if she did this thing she must tell her mother. It is
true that she had quarrelled with them both at Bragg's End; but there
are affairs in life which will ride over family quarrels and trample
them out, unless they be deeper and of longer standing than that
between Mrs. Prime and Mrs. Ray. Therefore it was that she appeared
at the cottage at Bragg's End just as Luke Rowan was leaving it.

She had entered upon the green with something of the olive-branch
in her spirit, and before she reached the gate had determined that,
as far as was within her power, all unkindness should be buried on
the present occasion; but when she saw Luke Rowan coming out of her
mother's door, she was startled out of all her good feeling. She had
taught herself to look on Rowan as the personification of mischief,
as the very mischief itself in regard to Rachel. She had lifted up
her voice against him. She had left her home and torn herself from
her family because it was not compatible with the rigour of her
principles that any one known to her should be known to him also!
But she had hardly left her mother's house when this most pernicious
cause of war was admitted to all the freedom of family intercourse!
It almost seemed to her that her mother must be a hypocrite. It was
but the other day that Mrs. Ray could not hear Luke Rowan's name
mentioned without wholesome horror. But where was that wholesome
horror now? On Monday, Mrs. Prime had left the cottage; on Tuesday,
Rachel had gone to a ball, expressly to meet the young man! and on
Wednesday the young man was drinking tea at Bragg's End cottage! Mrs.
Prime would have gone away without speaking a word to her mother or
sister, had such retreat been possible.

Stately and solemn was the recognition which she accorded to Luke's
salutation, and then she walked on into the house.

"Oh, Dorothea!" said her mother, and there was a tone almost of shame
in Mrs. Ray's voice.

"We're so glad to see you, Dolly," said Rachel, and in Rachel's voice
there was no tone of shame. It was all just as it should not be!

"I did not mean to disturb you, mother, while you were entertaining
company."

Mrs. Ray said nothing,--nothing at the moment; but Rachel took upon
herself t