ed into the rectory to change their clothes, leaving
Rowkins, the costermonger, in the very midst of the negotiation about
the three mackerel. Mamma got that new bonnet out of the bandbox; Lizzy
and Liddy skipped up to their bedroom, and brought out those dresses
which they wore at the dejeuner at the Newcome Athenaeum, when Lord
Leveret came down to lecture; into which they no sooner had hooked their
lovely shoulders, than they reflected with terror that mamma had
been altering one of papa's flannel waistcoats and had left it in the
drawing-room, when they were called out by the song of Rowkins, and the
appearance of his donkey's ears over the green gate of the rectory. To
think of the Park people coming, and the drawing-room in that dreadful
state!

But when they came downstairs the Park people were not in the room--the
woollen garment was still on the table (how they plunged it into the
chiffonier!)--and the only visitor was Rowkins, the costermonger,
grinning at the open French windows, with the three mackerel, and
crying, "Make it sixpence, miss--don't say fippens, maam, to a pore
fellow that has a wife and family." So that the young ladies had to
cry--"Impudence!" "Get away, you vulgar insolent creature!--Go round,
sir, to the back door!" "How dare you?" and the like; fearing lest Lady
Anne Newcome, and Young Ethel, and Barnes should enter in the midst of
this ignoble controversy.

They never came at all--those Park people. How very odd! They passed the
rectory gate; they drove on to Madame de Florac's lodge. They went in.
They stayed for half an hour; the horses driving round and round the
gravel road before the house; and Mrs. Potter and the girls speedily
going to the upper chambers, and looking out of the room where the maids
slept, saw Lady Anne, Ethel, and Barnes walking with Madame de Florac,
going into the conservatories, issuing thence with MacWhirter, the
gardener, bearing huge bunches of grapes and large fasces of flowers;
they saw Barnes talking in the most respectful manner to Madame
de Florac: and when they went downstairs and had their work before
them--Liddy her gilt music-book, Lizzy her embroidered altar-cloth,
mamma her scarlet cloak for one of the old women--they had the agony
of seeing the barouche over the railings whisk by, with the Park people
inside, and Barnes driving the four horses.

It was on that day when Barnes had determined to take up Madame de
Florac; when he was bent upon reco