terribly good-mannered and grown up, and somehow that first glimpse of
the elegant maiden whom her toil and sacrifice had built out of little
Ellen Godden of Ansdore, never failed to give Joanna a queer sense of
awkwardness and inferiority.

To-day Ellen was more impressive, more "different" than ever. She had
been allowed to buy new clothes before leaving Folkestone, and her long
blue coat and neat little hat made Joanna, for the first time in her
life, feel tawdry and savage in her fur and feathers. Her sister stepped
down from her third-class carriage as a queen from her throne, beckoned
to Rye's one porter, and without a word pointed back into the
compartment, from which he removed a handbag; whereat she graciously
gave him twopence and proceeded to greet Joanna.

"Dear Jo," she murmured, filling her embrace with a soft perfume of
hair, which somehow stifled the "Hello, duckie" on the other's tongue.

Joanna found herself turning to Rye's one porter with inquiries after
his wife and little boy, doing her best to take the chill off the
proceedings. She wished that Ellen wouldn't give herself these airs. It
is true that they always wore off as Ansdore reasserted itself in old
clothes and squabbles, but Joanna resented her first impressions.

However, her sister thawed a little on the drive home--she was curious
about the affairs of Brodnyx and Pedlinge, for her time in two worlds
was at an end, and Ansdore was henceforth to give her its horizons.

"Will there be any parties at Christmas?" she asked.

"Sure to be," said Joanna, "I'll be giving one myself, and Mrs. Vine was
telling me only yesterday as she's a mind to have some neighbours in for
whist."

"Won't there be any dancing?"

"Oh, it's that what you're after, is it?" said Joanna proudly.

"Mabel and Pauline are going to heaps of dances this Christmas--and Myra
West is coming out. Mayn't I come out, Joanna?"

"Come out o' what, dearie?"

"Oh, you know--put up my hair and go to balls."

"You can put your hair up any day you please--I put mine up at fifteen,
and you're turned seventeen now. As for balls ..."

She broke off, a little at a loss as to how she was to supply this
deficiency. It would scarcely be possible for her to break into the
enclosures of Dungemarsh Court--especially since she had allowed herself
to drop away from North Farthing House ... she had been a fool to do
that--Sir Harry might have helped her now. But then ... her lips
ti