ou go upstairs with Miss Mutimer, Adela?'

But for Mrs. Waltham's persistent geniality the hour which followed
would have shown many lapses of conversation. Alice appreciated at once
those 'differences' at which her brother had hinted, and her present
frame of mind was not quite consistent with patient humility. Naturally,
she suffered much from self-consciousness; Mrs. Waltham annoyed her by
too frequent observation, Adela by seeming indifference. The delicacy
of the latter was made perhaps a little excessive by strain of feelings.
Alice at once came to the conclusion that Dick's future wife was
cold and supercilious. She was not predisposed to like Adela. The
circumstances were in a number of ways unfavourable. Even had there not
existed the very natural resentment at the painful task which this young
lady had indirectly imposed upon her, it was not in Alice's blood and
breeding to take kindly at once to a girl of a class above her own.
Alice had warm affections; as a lady's maid she might very conceivably
have attached herself with much devotion to an indulgent mistress, but
in the present case too much was asked of her, Richard was proud of his
sister; he saw her at length seated where he had so often imagined her,
and in his eyes she bore herself well. He glanced often at Adela,
hoping for a return glance of congratulation; when it failed to come,
he consoled himself with the reflection that such silent interchange of
sentiments at table would be ill manners. In his very heart he believed
that of the two maidens his sister was the better featured. Adela and
Alice sat over against each other; their contrasted appearances were a
chapter of social history. Mark the difference between Adela's gently
closed lips, every muscle under control; and Alice's, which could never
quite close without forming a saucy pout or a self-conscious primness.
Contrast the foreheads; on the one hand that tenderly shadowed curve of
brow, on the other the surface which always seemed to catch too much of
the light, which moved irregularly with the arches above the eyes. The
grave modesty of the one face, the now petulant, now abashed, now vacant
expression of the other. Richard in his heart preferred the type he
had 80 long been familiar with; a state of feeling of course in no way
inconsistent with the emotions excited in him by continual observation
of Adela.

The two returned to the Manor at half-past seven, Alice rising with
evident reli