ou had all your acquaintance in the winter, my dear. It
was very proper, I am sure, all you did then: but it is now the middle
of July, you know; and our neighbours if Deerbrook always expect to be
invited twice a year."

"I should be happy to see them, I assure you," said Hester, "but it
happens to be not convenient."

"Not convenient, my dear!"

"Just so. We shall always be glad to see you and yours; but we have no
hospitality to spare for the common world just now. We have no
servants, you know, but Morris; and we are spending as little as we
can."

"Tea company costs so very little!" said Sophia. "At this time of the
year, when you need not light candles till people are going away, and
when fruit is cheap and plentiful--"

"And we will take care of the cake," interposed Mrs Grey. "Sophia will
make you some of her vicarage-cake, and a batch of almond biscuits; and
Alice shall come and wait. We can manage it very easily."

"You are extremely kind: but if our acquaintance are to eat your cake,
it had better be at your house. It does not suit our present
circumstances to entertain company."

"But it costs so very little!" persisted Sophia. "Mr Russell Taylor's
father used to give a general invitation to all his friends to come to
tea in the summer, because, as he said, they then cost him only
twopence-halfpenny a-head."

"I am afraid we are not such good managers as Mr Russell Taylor's
father," replied Hester, laughing. "And if we were, it is not
convenient to spend even twopence-halfpenny a-head upon our common
acquaintance at present. If we grow richer, we will get our friends
about us, without counting the cost so closely as that."

"That time will soon come, Sophia, my dear," said her mother, winking at
Hester. "In every profession, you know, there are little ups and downs,
and particularly in the medical. I dare say, if the truth were told,
there is scarcely any professional man, without private fortune, who has
not, at some time of his life, broken into his last guinea without
knowing where he is to get another. But professional people generally
keep their difficulties to themselves, I fancy, Hester: they are not
often so frank as you. Mind that, Sophia. You will be discreet,
Sophia."

"We have no intention of proclaiming in the streets that we are poor,"
said Hester. "But we owe it to you, dear Mrs Grey, to give our reasons
for not doing all that we and you might wish. We are not dis