g ladies, sir. You shall see their exercises."

This was certainly a new phase of Clementina's character. Yet why should
she not assume the role of Lady Bountiful with the other functions of
her new condition. "I should have thought Miss Harcourt would have found
this rather difficult with her other social duties," he said, "and would
have left it to her married sister." He thought it better not to appear
as if avoiding reference to Euphemia, although quietly ignoring her late
experiences. Mr. Harcourt was less easy in his response.

"Now that Euphemia is again with her own family," he said ponderously,
with an affectation of social discrimination that was in weak contrast
to his usual direct business astuteness, "I suppose she may take her
part in these things, but just now she requires rest. You may have heard
some rumor that she is going abroad for a time? The fact is she hasn't
the least intention of doing so, nor do we consider there is the
slightest reason for her going." He paused as if to give great emphasis
to a statement that seemed otherwise unimportant. "But here's Clementina
coming, and I must get you to excuse ME. I've to meet the trustees of
the church in ten minutes, but I hope she'll persuade you to stay, and
I'll see you later at the hall."

As Clementina entered the room her father vanished and, I fear,
as completely dropped out of Mr. Grant's mind. For the daughter's
improvement was greater than her father's, yet so much more refined as
to be at first only delicately perceptible. Grant had been prepared for
the vulgar enhancement of fine clothes and personal adornment, for the
specious setting of luxurious circumstances and surroundings, for the
aplomb that came from flattery and conscious power. But he found none of
these; her calm individuality was intensified rather than subdued; she
was dressed simply, with an economy of ornament, rich material, and
jewelry, but an accuracy of taste that was always dominant. Her plain
gray merino dress, beautifully fitting her figure, suggested, with
its pale blue facings, some uniform, as of the charitable society she
patronized. She came towards him with a graceful movement of greeting,
yet her face showed no consciousness of the interval that had elapsed
since they met; he almost fancied himself transported back to the
sitting-room at Sidon with the monotonous patter of the leaves outside,
and the cool moist breath of the bay and alder coming in at the window