I suppose you must have your own way, but I
never heard of such things in my younger days. Young ladies are very
different now!"

Beatrice drove Henrietta up-stairs with a renewed "Do make haste," and
then replied in a tone of argument and irritation, "I do not see why
young ladies should not like dressing churches for festivals better than
arraying themselves for balls and dances!"

True as the speech was, how would Beatrice have liked to have seen her
father or mother stand before her at that moment?

"Ah, well! it is all very well," said grandmamma, shaking her head, as
she always did when out-argued by Beatrice, "you girls think yourselves
so clever, there is no talking to you; but I think you had much better
let old Martha alone; she has done it well enough before ever you were
born, and such a litter as you will make the Church won't be fit to be
seen to-morrow! All day in that cold damp place too! I wonder Mary could
consent, Henrietta looks very delicate."

"O no, grandmamma, she is quite strong, very strong indeed."

"I am sure she is hoarse this morning," proceeded Mrs. Langford; "I
shall speak to her mamma."

"O don't, pray, grandmamma; she would be so disappointed. And what would
Mr. Franklin do?"

"O very well, I promise you, as he has done before," said Mrs. Langford,
hastening off to the drawing-room, while her granddaughter darted
upstairs to hurry Henrietta out of the house before a prohibition could
arrive. It was what Henrietta had too often assisted Fred in doing to
have many scruples, besides which she knew how grieved her mamma would
be to be obliged to stop her, and how glad to find her safe out of
reach; so she let her cousin heap on shawls, fur cuffs, and boas in a
far less leisurely and discriminating manner than was usual with her.

"It would be absolute sneaking (to use an elegant word), I suppose,"
said Beatrice, "to go down the back stairs."

"True," said Henrietta, "we will even take the bull by the horns."

"And trust to our heels," said Beatrice, stealthily opening the door;
"the coast is clear, and I know both your mamma and my papa will not
stop us if they can help it. One, two, three, and away!"

Off they flew, down the stairs, across the hall, and up the long green
walk, before they ventured to stop for Henrietta to put on her gloves,
and take up the boa that was dragging behind her like a huge serpent.
And after all, there was no need for their flight; they might have