kerchief upon it. Caroline noticed this _manege_ at
last, and asked her what friend she expected. Shirley bent towards her,
almost touched her ear with her rosy lips, and whispered with a musical
softness that often characterized her tones when what she said tended
even remotely to stir some sweet secret source of feeling in her heart,
"I expect Mr. Moore. I saw him last night, and I made him promise to
come with his sister, and to sit at our table. He won't fail me, I feel
certain; but I apprehend his coming too late, and being separated from
us. Here is a fresh batch arriving; every place will be taken.
Provoking!"

In fact, Mr. Wynne the magistrate, his wife, his son, and his two
daughters now entered in high state. They were Briarfield gentry. Of
course their place was at the first table, and being conducted thither,
they filled up the whole remaining space. For Miss Keeldar's comfort,
Mr. Sam Wynne inducted himself into the very vacancy she had kept for
Moore, planting himself solidly on her gown, her gloves, and her
handkerchief. Mr. Sam was one of the objects of her aversion, and the
more so because he showed serious symptoms of an aim at her hand. The
old gentleman, too, had publicly declared that the Fieldhead estate and
the De Walden estate were delightfully _contagious_--a malapropism which
rumour had not failed to repeat to Shirley.

Caroline's ears yet rung with that thrilling whisper, "I expect Mr.
Moore," her heart yet beat and her cheek yet glowed with it, when a note
from the organ pealed above the confused hum of the place. Dr. Boultby,
Mr. Helstone, and Mr. Hall rose, so did all present, and grace was sung
to the accompaniment of the music; and then tea began. She was kept too
busy with her office for a while to have leisure for looking round, but
the last cup being filled, she threw a restless glance over the room.
There were some ladies and several gentlemen standing about yet
unaccommodated with seats. Amidst a group she recognized her spinster
friend, Miss Mann, whom the fine weather had tempted, or some urgent
friend had persuaded, to leave her drear solitude for one hour of social
enjoyment. Miss Mann looked tired of standing; a lady in a yellow bonnet
brought her a chair. Caroline knew well that _chapeau en satin jaune_;
she knew the black hair, and the kindly though rather opinionated and
froward-looking face under it; she knew that _robe de soie noire_, she
knew even that _schall gris de lin