ve gladly. She had spent a life in
timid fears of such things and persons as were not formed by Nature to
excite them, but never had she experienced such humble terrors as those
with which Mistress Clorinda inspired her. Never did she approach her
without inward tremor, and never did she receive permission to depart
from her presence without relief. And yet her beauty and wit and spirit
had no admirer regarding them with more of wondering awe.

In the bare west wing of the house, comfortless though the neglect of its
master had made it, there was one corner where she was unafraid. Her
first charges, Mistress Barbara and Mistress Anne, were young ladies of
gentle spirit. Their sister had said of them that their spirit was as
poor as their looks. It could not be said of them by any one that they
had any pretension to beauty, but that which Mistress Clorinda rated at
as poor spirit was the one element of comfort in their poor dependent
kinswoman's life. They gave her no ill words, they indulged in no
fantastical whims and vapours, and they did not even seem to expect other
entertainment than to walk the country roads, to play with their little
lap-dog Cupid, wind silks for their needlework, and please themselves
with their embroidery-frames.

To them their sister appeared a goddess whom it would be presumptuous to
approach in any frame of mind quite ordinary. Her beauty must be
heightened by rich adornments, while their plain looks were left without
the poorest aid. It seemed but fitting that what there was to spend must
be spent on her. They showed no signs of resentment, and took with
gratitude such cast-off finery as she deigned at times to bestow upon
them, when it was no longer useful to herself. She was too full of the
occupations of pleasure to have had time to notice them, even if her
nature had inclined her to the observance of family affections. It was
their habit, when they knew of her going out in state, to watch her
incoming and outgoing through a peep-hole in a chamber window. Mistress
Margery told them stories of her admirers and of her triumphs, of the
county gentlemen of fortune who had offered themselves to her, and of the
modes of life in town of the handsome Sir John Oxon, who, without doubt,
was of the circle of her admiring attendants, if he had not fallen
totally her victim, as others had.

Of the two young women, it was Mistress Anne who had the more parts, and
the attraction of the m