dly concealed, the thoroughly
business-like carriage of her mind.

Mrs. Frankland opened her plan with the greatest fullness of explanation
as to what her motives were, but she did not feel obliged wholly to
conceal the element of personal aspiration, as she would have done in
talking to Phillida. Her intuitions made her feel that Mrs. Hilbrough
would accept religious zeal all the more readily for its being a little
diluted. Mrs. Hilbrough responded with genial cordiality and even with
some show of enthusiasm. But if she had less address in speech than the
other she had more in affairs. While theoretically supporting this plan
she did not commit herself to it. She knew how slender as yet was her
hold upon the society she courted, and she would not risk an eccentric
move. Her boat was still in shallow water, with hardly buoyancy enough
to float a solitary occupant; if she should undertake to carry Mrs.
Frankland, it would probably go fast aground. What she said to Mrs.
Frankland with superficial fervor was:

"You ought to have a person that has been longer in New York, and is
better acquainted than I am, to carry out your plan, Mrs. Frankland. It
would be a pity to have so excellent a scheme fail; that would probably
prevent your ever succeeding--would shut you out as long as you lived.
It would be a great honor to me to have your readings, but you must
begin under better auspices. I regret to say this. Your readings,
rightly started, will be a great success, and I should like to have them
here."

This last was in a sense sincere. Mrs. Hilbrough was sure of Mrs.
Frankland's success if once the thing were patronized by the right
people. Here Mrs. Frankland looked disappointed, but in a moment broke
forth again in adroit and fervid statement of the good that might be
done, mingled with a flattering protest against Mrs. Hilbrough's too
humble estimate of her influence in society. While she proceeded, Mrs.
Hilbrough was revolving a plan for giving Mrs. Frankland more than she
asked, while avoiding personal responsibility.

"I think I can do something," she said, with a manner less cordial but
more sincere than that she had previously assumed. "Leave the matter
with me, and I may be able to open to you a grand house, not a plain,
middling place like mine"--and she waved her hand deprecatingly toward
the furnishings which seemed to Mrs. Frankland inconceivably rich--"a
grand house with all the prestige of a great family. I