themselves), was two years younger still. Mrs.
Turner was very confidential to us, partly
because I doubt not she had heard of our
old connexion with the family, and partly
because she was an arrant talker, and was
glad of anybody who would listen to her.
So we heard the very first week how each
of the ladies had wished for the east
bedroom; that which faced the north-east;
which no one slept in in the old Squire's
days; but there were two steps leading up
into it, and said Miss Sophronia, she would
never let a younger sister have a room more
elevated than she had herself. She was the
eldest, and she had a right to the steps. So
she bolted herself in for two days while
she unpacked her clothes, and then came
out looking like a hen that has laid an egg,
and defies any one to take that honour from
her.

But her sisters were very deferential to her
in general; that must be said. They never
had more than two black feathers in their
bonnets; while she had always three. Mrs.
Turner said that once, when they thought
Miss Annabella had been going to have an
offer of marriage made her, Miss Sophronia
had not objected to her wearing three that
winter; but when it all ended in smoke, Miss
Annabella had to pluck it out, as became a
younger sister. Poor Miss Annabella! she
had been a beauty (Mrs. Turner said), and
great things had been expected of her. Her
brother, the General, and her mother had
both spoilt her, rather than cross her
unnecessarily, and so spoil her good looks; which,
old Mrs. Morton had always expected, would
make the fortune of the family. Her
sisters were angry with her for not having
married some great rich gentleman; though,
as she used to say to Mrs. Turner, how could
she help it. She was willing enough, but no
rich gentleman came to ask her. We agreed
that it really was not her fault; but her sisters
thought it was: and now that she had lost
her beauty, they were always casting it up
what they would have done if they had had
her gifts. There were some Miss Burrells
they had heard of, each of whom had married
a lord; and these Miss Burrells had not been
such great beauties. So Miss Sophronia used
to work the question by the rule of three,
and put it in this way—If Miss Burrell, with
a tolerable pair of eyes, a snub nose, and a
wide mouth, married a baron, what rank of
peer ought our pretty Annabella to have
espoused? And the worst was. Miss
Annabella—who had never had any ambition—
wanted to have married a poor curate in her
youth; but was pulled up by her mother and
sisters reminding her of the duty she owed
to her family. Miss Dorothy had done her
best—Miss Morton always praised her for it.
With not half the good looks of Miss Annabella,
she had danced with an honourable at
Harrogate three times running; and, even
now, she persevered in trying; which was
more than could be said of Miss Annabella,
who was very broken-spirited.

I do believe Mrs. Turner told us all this
before we had ever seen the ladies. We had
let them know, through Mrs. Turner, of our
wish to pay them our respects; so we
ventured to go up to the front door, and rap
modestly. We had reasoned about it before,
and agreed that if we were going in our
everyday clothes, to offer a little present of
eggs, or to call on Mrs. Turner (as she had
asked us to do), the back door would have
been the appropriate entrance for us. But
going, however humbly, to pay our respects,
and offer our reverential welcome to the Miss
Mortons, we took rank as their visitors, and
should go to the front door. We were shown
up the wide stairs, along the gallery, up two
steps, into Miss Sophronia's room. She put
away some papers hastily as we came in. We
heard afterwards that she was writing a
book, to be called "The Female Chesterfield,
or Letters from a Lady of Quality to her
niece." And the little niece sate there in a
high chair, with a flat board tied to her back,
and her feet in stocks on the rail of the chair,
so that she had nothing to do but listen to
her aunt's letters; which were read aloud to
her as they were written, in order to mark
their effect on her manners. I was not sure
whether Miss Sophronia liked our interruption;
but I know little Miss Cordelia
Mannisty did.

"Is the young lady crooked?" asked
Ethelinda during a pause in our conversation. I
had noticed that my sister's eyes would rest
on the child; although by an effort she sometimes
succeeded in looking at something else
occasionally.

"No! indeed, ma'am," said Miss Morton.
"But she was born in India, and her
backbone has never properly hardened. Besides,
I and my two sisters each take charge of her
for a week; and, their systems of education—
I might say non-education—differ so totally
and entirely from my ideas, that, when Miss
Mannisty comes to me, I consider myself
fortunate if I can undo the—hem!—that has
been done during a fortnight's absence.
Cordelia, my dear, repeat to these good ladies the
geography lesson you learnt this morning?"

Poor little Miss Mannisty began to tell us
a great deal about some river in Yorkshire
of which we had never heard, though I dare
say we ought to, and then a great deal more
about the towns that it passed by and what
they were famous for; and all I can remember
—indeed could understand at the time—
was, that Pomfret was famous for Pomfret
cakes, which I knew before. But Ethelinda
gasped for breath before it was done, she was
so nearly choked up with astonishment; and
when it was ended, she said, "Pretty dear!
it's wonderful!" Miss Morton looked a little
displeased, and replied, "Not at all. Good
little girls can learn anything they choose,
even French verbs. Yes, Cordelia, they