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Almeria attempted to apologize, but could not get through her speech: she then tried to laugh at her own awkwardness; but her laugh not being seconded, she sat down to dinner in silence, colouring prodigiously, and totally abashed. Good old Mr. Elmour was the first to relent, and to endeavour, by resuming his usual kind familiarity, to relieve her painful confusion.
Almeria was scarcely noticed, on her entrance, by the lady of the house; she found herself in a formidable circle, where every body seemed to consider her as being out of her place. At dinner she was suffered to go to a side-table. From the moment she entered the house till she left it, Lady Stock never deigned to speak to her, nor for one instant to recollect that such a person existed.
She treated her friend at all times, and in all companies, with that uniform attention and equality of manner, which most people profess, and which so few have strength of mind to practise. Almeria expressed, and probably at this time felt, unbounded gratitude and affection for Ellen; indeed her expressions were sometimes so vehement, that Miss Elmour rallied her for being romantic.
With difficulty and blushes, Almeria came out with an after-confession, that she had been so silly as to make half a promise to Lady Stock, of going to her ball, and of spending a few days with her at York, before she left the country.
A few days after this visit, Miss Turnbull received the following note from Miss Elmour: "MY DEAR ALMERIA, "If you still wish that I should treat you as a friend, show me that you do, and you will find my affection unaltered.
Almeria was received every where with the most distinguished attention; and she was delighted, and absolutely intoxicated, with her sudden rise in the world of fashion. She found that her former acquaintance at Lady Stock's were extremely ambitious of claiming an intimacy; but this could not be done.
By Ellen's kind interposition, Frederick, whose pride had been most ready to take the alarm at the least appearance of slight to his father and sister, was pacified he laid aside his ceremony to Miss Turnbull; called her "Almeria," as he used to do and all was well again.
Almeria, who had now recovered her strength, was one morning sitting in her own room, meditating arrangements for the next winter's campaign, when she was roused by the voices of Lady Bab and Lady Kitty at her room door. "Miss Turnbull! Miss Turnbull! come! come!
Wal, now, but I'd like to know what business them ladies has for they're rael, an' no mistake, very different from Mis' Davidson, with her hands like graters an' her v'ice like a loon's so loud an' hard an' you may know the rael ladies by the soft hand an' the aisy v'ice. Almeria rubbed her own knuckles, seeking for the symptom of gentle blood. 'What business has they, continued Mrs.
Can you, my dearest Miss Turnbull, forget that you did the most imprudent and really unaccountable thing, that ever woman did? Lady Pierrepoint had it from Stock the banker. Now you must be certainly conscious to what I allude." Almeria still looked innocent till Mrs. Vickars produced the book dedicated to Lady Bradstone, for twelve copies of which Miss Turnbull had subscribed.
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