this difference which made Phoebe draw herself back
instinctively after the first start of recognition. Across her mind,
even while she held out her hand to the stranger, there flashed a sudden
recollection of her grandmother and her grandfather, and all the homely
belongings which he, a minister of the connection, could not be kept in
ignorance of. It was but a momentary pang. Phoebe was not so foolish as
to shrink before the inevitable, or to attempt by foolish expedients to
stave off such a danger. She shrank for a second, then drew herself up
and shook off all such ignoble cares. "I am myself whatever happens,"
was her reflection; and she said with something like security:

"I am so glad to meet you, Mr. Northcote; what an unexpected pleasure to
see you here!"

"It is a most unexpected pleasure for me, I assure you," he said, "and a
very great one." He spoke with unaffected honesty; for indeed his plunge
into the society of Salem Chapel had given him a shock not easily got
over, and the appearance of a being of his own species, among all these
excellent poulterers and grocers, was a relief unspeakable; and then he
added, "May I walk with you, if you are going to walk?"

"Surely," said Phoebe with momentary hesitation, and it was just at this
moment that she perceived Ursula on the other side of the road, and,
glad of the diversion, waved her hand to her, and said, "How do you do?"

"A friend of yours?" said Mr. Northcote, following her gesture with his
eyes, and feeling more and more glad that he had met her. "I passed
those young ladies just now, and heard some of their conversation,
which amused me. Do they belong to our people? If you will not be angry,
Miss Beecham, I must say that I should be glad to meet somebody
belonging to us, who is not--who is more like--the people one meets
elsewhere."

"Well," said Phoebe, "we are always talking of wanting something
original; I think on the whole I am of your opinion; still there is
nothing very great or striking about most of the people one meets
anywhere."

"Yes; society is flat enough," said the young man. "But--it is strange
and rather painful, though perhaps it is wrong to say so--why, I wonder,
are all our people of one class? Perhaps you have not seen much of them
here? All of one class, and that--"

"Not an attractive class," said Phoebe, with a little sigh. "Yes, I
know."

"Anything but an attractive class; not the so-called working men and
such like