"So we heard. To Sir Charles Rich, is it not?"

"The same. But maybe you have not heard of Molly's conquest?" asked
Lady Betty, with an amused little laugh.

"What, is Mrs Molly in any body's chains?"

"Indeed, I guess not, Mrs Jane," replied Lady Betty, still laughing.
"I expect my friend Mr Thomas Mainwaring is in Molly's chains, if
chains there be."

"Eh, she'll lead him a weary life!" said Mrs Jane.

"Let us hope she will sober down," answered Lady Betty. "I am not
unwilling to allow there hath of late been room for improvement. Yet is
there some good in Molly, as I think."

Phoebe remembered Molly's assistance in the matter of Mr Edmundson, and
thought it might be so.

"Well, and what of Mrs Gatty?"

"Ah, poor maid! She, at least, can scarce hope to be happy, her
disfigurement is so unfortunate."

"I must needs ask your pardon, my Lady Betty, but I trust that is not
the case," said Mrs Dorothy, with a gentle smile. "Sure, happiness
doth not depend on face nor figure?"

"The world mostly reckons so, I believe," answered Lady Betty, with a
responsive smile. "Maybe, we pick up such words, and use them, in
something too heedless a manner."

"I am mightily mistaken if Mrs Gatty do not prove the happiest of the
three," was Mrs Dorothy's reply.

Mrs Dorothy rose to go home, and Phoebe took leave at the same time.
She felt tired and harassed, and longed for the rest of a little quiet
talk with her old friend.

"And how doth Mrs Rhoda take this, my dear?" was the old lady's first
question, when Phoebe had poured out her story.

"She seemed very much troubled at first, and angry; but I fancy she is
getting over it now."

"Which most?--troubled or angry?"

"I think--after a few minutes, at least--more angry."

"Then she will quickly recover. I do not think she loved him, Phoebe.
She liked him, I have no doubt: and she flattered herself that he loved
her; but if she be more angry than hurt, that shows that her pride
suffers rather than her love. At least," said Mrs Dorothy, correcting
herself, "I mean it looks so. Who am I, that I should judge her?"

"I wanted it to do her some good, Mrs Dolly. It seems hard to have the
suffering, and not get the good."

"'Tis not easy for men to tell what does good, and when. We cannot as
concerns ourselves; how then shall we judge for others?"

"I wonder what Rhoda will do now?" suggested Phoebe, after a minute's
silence.

She looked up, and saw an ex