beautiful than the last; and, as for Miss
Matey, she smiled and sighed over each fresh
bale that was brought out; one colour set off
another, and the heap together would, as she
said, make even the rainbow look poor.

"I am afraid whichever I choose I shall
wish I had taken another. Look at this
lovely crimson! it would be so warm in
winter. But spring is coming on, you know.
I wish I could have a gown for every season,"
said she, dropping her voice, as we all did in
Cranford, whenever we talked of anything
we wished for, but could not afford.
" However," she continued in a louder and more
cheerful tone, " it would give me a great deal
of trouble to take care of them if I had
them; so I think I'll only take one. But
which must it be, my dear? " And now she
hovered over a lilac with yellow spots, while
I pulled out a quiet sage-green that had faded
into insignificance under the more brilliant
colours, but which was nevertheless a good
silk in its humble way. Our attention was
called off to our neighbour. He had chosen
a shawl of about thirty shillings' value; and
his face looked broadly happy under the
anticipation, no doubt, of the pleasant surprise
he should give to some Molly or Jenny at
home; he had tugged a leathern purse out of
his breeches pocket, and had offered a five-
pound note in payment for the shawl, and for
some parcels which had been brought round
to him from the grocery counter; and it was
just at this point that he attracted our notice.
The shopman was examining the note with a
puzzled, doubtful air.

"Town and County Bank! I am not
sure, sir, but I believe we have received a
warning against notes issued by this bank
only this morning. I will just step and ask
Mr. Johnson, sir; but I'm afraid I must
trouble you for payment in cash, or in a note
of a different bank."

I never saw a man's countenance fall so
suddenly into dismay and bewilderment. It
was almost piteous to see the rapid change.

"Dang it!" said he, striking his fist down on
the table, as if to try which were the harder;
"the chap talks as if notes and gold were to
be had for the picking up."

Miss Matey had forgotten her silk gown
in her interest for the man. I don't think
she had caught the name of the bank, and in
my nervous cowardice, I was anxious that
she should not; and so I began admiring the
yellow-spotted lilac gown that I had been
utterly condemning only a minute before.
But it was of no use.

"What bank was it ? I mean what bank
did your note belong to?"

"Town and County Bank."

"Let me see it," said she quietly to the
shopman, gently taking it out of his hand,
as he brought it back to return it to the
farmer.

Mr. Johnson was very sorry, but, from
information he had received, the notes issued
by that bank were little better than waste
paper.

"I don't understand it," said Miss Matey
to me in a low voice. " That is our bank, is
it not?—the Town and County Bank ?"

"Yes," said I. "This lilac silk will just
match the ribbons in your new cap, I believe,"
I continued, holding up the folds so as to
catch the light, and wishing that the man
would make haste and be gone; and yet
having a new wonder that had only just
sprung up, how far it was wise or right in me
to allow Miss Matey to make this expensive
purchase, if the affairs of the bank were
really so bad as the refusal of the note
implied.

But Miss Matey put on the soft dignified
manner peculiar to her, rarely used, and yet
which became her so well, and laying her
hand gently on mine, she said,
" Never mind the silks for a few minutes,
dear. I don't understand you, sir," turning
now to the shopman, who had been attending
to the farmer. " Is this a forged
note ?"

" Oh, no, ma'am. It is a true note of its
kind; but you see, ma'am, it is a Joint Stock
Bank, and there are reports out that it is
likely to break. Mr. Johnson is only doing
his duty, ma'am, as I am sure Mr. Dobson
knows.

But Mr. Dobson could not respond to the
appealing bow by any answering smile. He
was turning the note absently over in his
fingers, looking gloomily enough at the parcel
containing the lately chosen shawl.

"It's hard upon a poor man," said he, " as
earns every farthing with the sweat of his
brow. However, there's no help for it. You
must take back your shawl, my man; Lizzie
must do on with her cloak for a while. And
yon figs for the little ones—I promised them
to 'em—I'll take them; but the 'bacco, and
the other things—"

"I will give you five sovereigns for your
note, my good man," said Miss Matey. " I
think there is some great mistake about it,
for I am one of the shareholders, and I'm sure
they would have told me if things had not
been going on right."

The shopman whispered a word or two
across the table to Miss Matey. She looked
at him with a dubious air.

"Perhaps so," said she. "But I don't
pretend to understand business; I only
know that if it is going to fail, and if honest
people are to lose their money because they
have taken our notes—I can't explain myself,"
said she, suddenly becoming aware that she
had got into a long sentence with four people
for audience—" only I would rather exchange
my gold for the note, if you please," turning
to the farmer, " and then you can take your
wife the shawl. It is only going without my
gown a few days longer," she continued,
speaking to me. " Then I have no doubt
everything will be cleared up."