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It was the fashion to be punctual at Northbury, and when Catherine, Mabel and Loftus Bertram arrived about ten minutes past seven at the Gray House they found the pleasant old drawing-room already full of eager and expectant guests. Beatrice would have preferred meeting her new friends without any ceremony in the garden, but Mrs.
Butler, Miss Peters, and the other despised Northbury folk. "Your son is marrying into one of the Northbury families," the rector had said, when the proud lady had frowned a little over this. "Beatrice must and shall have her friends round her when she gives herself to Bertram.
The eldest Miss Jenkins had managed, for the first time, to establish herself in the vicinity of Mr. Jones, when the maid no one kept two maids at Northbury threw open the door. "Mrs. Butler, ma'am, and Miss Peters, ma'am." Whereupon the two ladies, portentous with their great news, came in. As they walked down the street Mrs. Butler had warned her sister not to leak out a word.
The day of festival came at last; the sun arose gloriously, not a cloud was in the sky, all the merry-makers might go in their best, and all hearts might be jubilant. It was delightful to see Northbury on this day, for so gay were the costumes worn by its inhabitants that as they passed through the narrow old streets they gave the place of their birth a picturesque and even a foreign appearance.
Might I not come and live with you here? I would pay you well." Mrs. Bell started and blushed. Caste was a very marked feature in Northbury society, and between the people who let lodgings for money, and those who lived genteelly on their means was a great and awful gulf.
She kissed it when she looked at it now, and placed it very near the crotchet edging in her regard. But it would take a much longer space than this story can afford to recount all the presents that came to Beatrice Meadowsweet. From the Bertram connection the gifts were of money value, from the Northbury people they were rich with something better than money.
Bell's face seemed, however, to be able to read her through. She spoke in a moment in a very gentle and pleading voice: "I understand your position; you are a lady, and you don't like to accept money." "I couldn't do it, my dear. I couldn't really; Bell, he'd take on awful. It isn't the custom in Northbury, Miss Miss Hart." "And I couldn't come to you without paying.
I thought by the looks of her as she didn't belong to none of the Northbury people." The other laughed. "She have got an eye," he said. "My word, don't it shine? Seems to scorch one up." "There's the 7.12 luggage train signalled, Jim!" exclaimed the other. The men forgot the strange girl and returned to their duties. Meanwhile, she sat back in her cab, and gazed complacently about her.
"If a noble heart, and frank and fearless ways, and an educated mind, and a refined nature can make a lady, then she is one no better in the land." "I am charmed, charmed to hear it. It is such a relief. For, really Mr. Ingram, some people from Northbury came and sat on that very sofa which you are occupying, who were quite too oh, well, they were absolutely dreadful. I wonder if Mrs.
"I don't agree with you, ladies," said the good woman, as they were leaving the house, but they neither heeded nor heard her remark. The explanation of their conduct was simple enough. They were devoured with jealousy. Had Mrs. Bertram called on any one of them, she would have been in that person's estimation the most fascinating woman in Northbury. And Mrs.
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