ant and hold his claret glass to be filled.

Matilda's thoughts went into a whirl immediately. She had not seen
Norton take wine at home; it brought trooping round her, by contrast,
the recollections of Shadywalk, the Sunday school room, the meetings of
the Commission, and Mr. Richmond, and talk about temperance, and her
pledge to do all she could to help the cause of temperance. Now, here
was a field. Yes, and there was David Bartholomew on the other side of
the table, he also was just filling his glass. But what could Matilda
do here? Would these boys listen to her? And yet, she had promised to
do all she could for the cause of temperance. She could certainly do
something, in the way of trying at least. She must. To try, is in
everybody's power. But now she found as she thought about it, that it
would be very difficult even to try. It is inconceivable how unwilling
she felt to say one word to Norton on the subject; and as for
David!--Well, she need not think of David at present; he was a
stranger. If she could get Norton to listen-- But she could not get
Norton to listen, she was sure; and what was the use of making a fuss
and being laughed at just for nothing? Only, she had promised.

The working of these thoughts pretty well spoiled Matilda's ice cream.
There was a trembling of other thoughts, too, around these, that were
also rather unwelcome. But she could not think them out then. The
company had left the table and gathered in another room, and there a
great deal of talk and discussion of many things went on, including
winter plans for the children and home arrangements, in which Matilda
was interested. Shopping, also, and what stuffs and what colours were
most in favour, and fashions of making and wearing. Matilda had
certainly been used to hear talk on such subjects in the days of her
mother's life-time, when the like points were eagerly debated between
her and her older children. But then it was always with questions.
_What_ is fashionable; and _What_ can we manage to get? Now and here,
that questioning was replaced by calm knowledge and certainty and the
power to do as they pleased. So the subject became doubly interesting.
The two boys had gone off together; and the two girls, mixing with the
group of their elders, listened and formed their own opinions, of each
other at least. For every now and then, the black eyes and the brown
eyes met; glances inquiring, determining, but almost as nearly
repellent as any