with especial care for a visit to Mrs. Frost.
Her toilet on this occasion was a matter of
more hesitation and mental debate than she
would willingly have acknowledged even to
herself. At one moment she would resolve
to adhere to the strict principles that usually
regulated her attire, and that resulted in the
general sad-coloured effect of it; at another,
she would be tempted to relieve the leaden
dulness by a bright bow of ribbon or a
flower. She was divided between a desire
to vindicate the strength of her intellect by
showing herself to be above the frivolities
of fashion; and a secret fear of Mrs. Frost's
satirical glances, and, possibly, speeches.

Mrs. Lovegrove never confessed to
herself that she was afraid of Mrs. Frost, and
certainly the latter had no suspicion of the
fact; but spoke to Mr. Frost of his partner's
wife as " that self-sufficient, wooden-headed
woman." Nevertheless Mrs. Lovegrove
was by no means self-sufficient enough to
be indifferent to the opinion of Mrs. Frost.
And she concealed more feminine gentleness
and timidity under her hard exterior, than
had ever entered into the composition of the
beautiful Greorgina: which is not, however,
saying much.

It was about half-past four o'clock in
the afternoon when Mrs. Lovegrove's fly
drew up at the door of Mr. Frost's house.
Mrs. Lovegrove was ushered into a small,
shady drawing-room where she found the
hostess talking with a lady whose
appearance struck Mrs. Lovegrove with
amazement, mingled with disapproval. The
visitor wore a brilliant costume made in
the most girlish mode; and on the top of a
heap of false hair whose excessive quantity
displayed a sovereign contempt for
probability, was perched a small white hat
adorned with peacock's feathers. As the
face beneath the hat must have faced at
least sixty summers, the contrast between
it and its head-gear was startling.

"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Frost, in a tone
that said plainly, Who would have thought
of seeing you! " How do you do, Mrs.
Lovegrove?"

Mrs. Lovegrove suddenly became
conscious as she sat down, of the disagreeable
fact that her gloves were of a staring
yellow colour, which stood out objectionably
against the leaden hue of her gown.
She had hesitated long before putting on
these gloves, but had at last decided on
wearing them as being the only spot of
brightness about her attire. And now,
when she saw Mrs. Frost's fine eyes lazily
inspecting them, she became painfully
aware that they were obtrusive, that they
attracted the eye to every movement of her
hands, and that she could not so much
as raise her handkerchief to her face without
demonstratively exhibiting two yellow
glaring patches.

But Mrs. Lovegrove was not one of those
whose emotions are quickly translated into
the expression of their faces; she seated
herself opposite to the mistress of the house
with a stern countenance.

"You have got Mr. Frost back again,"
she said, after the first greetings were over.
"How is he?"

"Well, really, "rejoined Mrs. Frost, " you
ought to know better than I do! You
people at Bedford-square have more of his
company than I have."

"But he is at home generally in the
evenings, my dear, is he not?" asked she
of the peacock's feathers.

"Sometimes. But in the evening I am
often out."

"Out?"

"Yes. I am never sure whether he will
be at home or not, and so I do not put off
my engagements."

"Well; I wouldn't stir if I were in your
place. I would give up fifty engagements
for the chance of having a long evening
with Mr. Frost."

"I am sure Mr. Frost would be
immensely obliged to you, Betsy! I'll tell
him," said Georgina, with a languid smile.

All this time Mrs. Lovegrove was sitting
silent, with her yellow gloves folded in her
lap. She felt very uncomfortable. She
had thought to find Mrs. Frost alone, and
to have drawn from her some word about
the business which had so excited her
curiosity. But Mrs. Lovegrove was not
recklessly indiscreet: she would not have
thought of touching on the topic before a
stranger, although she would have thought
it fair to find out, if she could, all that Mrs.
Frost knew about it. And now here was
this simpering old woman, in whose
presence she could not say a word, and whose
dress Mrs. Lovegrove was inclined to
consider a disgrace to a Christian country.
And, besides, neither Mrs. Frost nor her
guest seemed to take any notice of her!

The simpering old woman, however, very
unexpectedly turned round just as Mrs.
Lovegrove was thinking these thoughts,
and said in a brisk, good-humoured manner:
"Now I want you to present me to Mrs.
Lovegrove, Georgina."

Mrs. Frost somewhat ungraciously
complied.