n to be
quite capable of doing so. They had, on a particular occasion, made
transparent overtures to a celebrity belonging to the Poles, whom they
had first met at Brookfield: could never have hoped to have seen had
they not met him at Brookfield; and girls who behaved in this way would
do anything. The resolution was taken to steal a march on them; nor did
it seem at all odd to people naturally so hospitable as the denizens
of Brookfield, that the stranger of yesterday should be the guest of
to-day. Kindness of heart, combined with a great scheme in the brain,
easily put aside conventional rules.

"But we don't know her name," they said, when they had taken the advice
of the gentlemen on what they had already decided to do: all excepting
Mr. Pericles, for whom the surprise was in store.

"Belloni--Miss Belloni," said Wilfrid.

"Are you sure? How do you know--?"

"She told Laura Tinley."

Within five minutes of the receipt of this intelligence the ladies were
on their way to Wilson's farm.

CHAPTER IV

The circle which the ladies of Brookfield were designing to establish
just now, was of this receipt:--Celebrities, London residents, and
County notables, all in their severally due proportions, were to meet,
mix, and revolve: the Celebrities to shine; the Metropolitans to act as
satellites; the County ignoramuses to feel flattered in knowing that
all stood forth for their amusement: they being the butts of the
quick-witted Metropolitans, whom they despised, while the sons of renown
were encouraged to be conscious of their magnanimous superiority over
both sets, for whose entertainment they were ticketed.

This is a pudding indeed! And the contemplation of the skill and
energy required to get together and compound such a Brookfield Pudding,
well-nigh leads one to think the work that is done out of doors a very
inferior business, and, as it were, mere gathering of fuel for the fire
inside. It was known in the neighbourhood that the ladies were preparing
one; and moreover that they had a new kind of plum; in other words, that
they intended to exhibit a prodigy of genius, who would flow upon the
world from Brookfield. To announce her with the invitations, rejecting
the idea of a surprise in the assembly, had been necessary, because
there was no other way of securing Lady Gosstre, who led the society of
the district. The great lady gave her promise to attend: "though," as
she said to Arabella, "you must know I