next half-hour. He talked about the
business of the firm, saying how it would now certainly be improved;
and he talked about Tom Mackenzie's family, saying what a grand thing
it was for Susanna to be thus taken in hand by her aunt; and he asked
a question or two about Miss Baker, and then a question or two about
Mr Maguire, during which questions he learned that Mr Maguire was not
as yet a married man; and from Mr Maguire he got on to the Stumfolds,
and learned somewhat of the rites and ceremonies of the Stumfoldian
faith. In this way he prolonged his visit till Miss Mackenzie began
to feel that he ought to take his leave.

Miss Baker had gone at once to Miss Todd, and had told that lady that
Miss Mackenzie would join her tea-party. She had also told how Mr
Rubb, of the firm of Rubb and Mackenzie, was at this moment in Miss
Mackenzie's drawing-room.

"I'll ask him to come, too," said Miss Todd. Then Miss Baker had
hesitated, and had looked grave.

"What's the matter?" said Miss Todd.

"I'm not quite sure you'll like him," said Miss Baker.

"Probably not," said Miss Todd; "I don't like half the people I meet,
but that's no reason I shouldn't ask him."

"But he is--that is, he is not exactly--"

"What is he, and what is he not, exactly?" asked Miss Todd.

"Why, he is a tradesman, you know," said Miss Baker.

"There's no harm that I know of in that," said Miss Todd. "My uncle
that left me my money was a tradesman."

"No," said Miss Baker, energetically; "he was a merchant in
Liverpool."

"You'll find it very hard to define the difference, my dear," said
Miss Todd. "At any rate I'll ask the man to come;--that is, if it
won't offend you."

"It won't in the least offend me," said Miss Baker.

So a note was at once written and sent in to Miss Mackenzie, in which
she was asked to bring Mr Rubb with her on that evening. When the
note reached Miss Mackenzie, Mr Rubb was still with her.

Of course she communicated to him the invitation. She wished that it
had not been sent; she wished that he would not accept it,--though
on that head she had no doubt; but she had not sufficient presence
of mind to keep the matter to herself and say nothing about it.
Of course he was only too glad to drink tea with Miss Todd. Miss
Mackenzie attempted some slight manoeuvre to induce Mr Rubb to go
direct to Miss Todd's house; but he was not such an ass as that; he
knew his advantage, and kept it, insisting on his privilege of comin