the preceding evening
she had been lucky enough to meet Mabel Bertram, and had almost
extracted a promise from that young lady that she would come to her
reception in the company of her gallant brother.

"Thank you, for Matty's sake," Mrs. Bell had responded to Mabel. "Matty
will be delighted to see you both,--delighted."

Mabel had gone home a little bewildered and a little amused, and Mrs.
Bell felt herself altogether in high feather.

When Mrs. Butler and Miss Peters appeared on the scene there had already
arrived a fair sprinkling of guests. Mrs. Gorman Stanley who did most of
her eating at her friends' houses, was enjoying her second cup of tea,
and asking Alice for the third time to pass her the sponge-cakes. Mrs.
Morris, considerably wrapped up on account of her bronchitis, was
shivering by an open window, and Mrs. Jenkins and the two Misses
Jenkins, and Mr. Jones the curate, were also in the room.

The eldest Miss Jenkins had managed, for the first time, to establish
herself in the vicinity of Mr. Jones, when the maid--no one kept two
maids at Northbury--threw open the door.

"Mrs. Butler, ma'am, and Miss Peters, ma'am."

Whereupon the two ladies, portentous with their great news, came in.

As they walked down the street Mrs. Butler had warned her sister not to
leak out a word.

"_I'll_ tell," she said, with simple gravity which impressed.

"But it was _my_ news," said poor Miss Peters.

"I prefer to tell," said Mrs. Butler.

And Miss Peters was demolished.

Accordingly when they entered the room Mrs. Butler made straight for the
sofa beside Mrs. Bell. She took her friend's hand, looked at her
solemnly, and said:

"How are you?" in a lugubrious voice.

Mrs. Bell assured Mrs. Butler that she was in excellent health, and
Matty was called forward to administer the tea and cake.

Mrs. Butler also favored Matty with a portentous glance.

"Has that girl got over the cough which she was so troubled with a year
back?" she queried of the parent.

Mrs. Bell bridled at this. Never had her Matty looked stronger or more
blooming, and after all the cough so solemnly inquired after, just for
all the world, muttered the poor mother, as if it were a graveyard
cough, had been but the remains of the whooping cough.

"Matty blooms," replied Mrs. Bell. "Don't you, Matty, my love? I don't
suppose, Mrs. Butler, you ever saw my girl looking better."

"I'm glad of it," said Mrs. Butler. "No more tea, I thank you,