ot without dignity as
she rose to receive Thyrza and guided her to a comfortable seat. Her
voice was habitually subdued to the limit of audibleness; she spoke
with precision, and in language very free from vulgarisms either of
thought or phrase. Her taste had always been for a home-keeping life;
she dreaded gossipers, and only left the house when it was absolutely
necessary, then going forth closely veiled. With the landlady she held
no more intercourse than arose from the weekly payment of rent; the
other lodgers in the house only saw her by chance on rare occasions.
Her son left home and returned with much regularity, he also seeming to
desire privacy above all things. Mrs. Jarmey had at first been disposed
to take this reserve somewhat ill. When she knocked at Mrs. Grail's
door on some paltry excuse for seeing the inside of the room, and found
that the old lady exchanged brief words with her on the threshold, she
wondered who these people might be who thought themselves too good for
wonted neighbourship. In time, however, her feeling changed, and she
gave everybody to understand that her ground-floor lodgers were of the
highest respectability, inmates such as did not fall to the lot of
every landlady.

Gilbert was surprised when, of her own motion, his mother made
overtures to the sisters who lived at the top of the house. Neither
Lydia nor Thyrza was at first disposed to respond very warmly; they
agreed that the old lady was doubtless very respectable, but, at the
same time, decidedly queer in her way of speaking. But during the past
few months they had overcome this reluctance, and were now on a certain
footing of intimacy with Mrs. Grail, who made it no secret that she
took great interest in Thyrza. Thyrza always entered the sitting-room
with a feeling of awe. The dim light, the old lady's low voice, above
all, the books--in her eyes a remarkable library--impressed her
strongly. If Grail himself were present, he was invariably reading;
Thyrza held him profoundly learned, a judgment confirmed by his
mother's way of speaking of him. For Mrs. Grail regarded her son with
distinct reverence. He, in turn, was tenderly respectful to her; they
did not know what it was to exchange an unkind or an impatient word.

Thyrza liked especially to have tea here on Sunday. The appointments of
the table seemed to her luxurious, for the tea-service was uniform and
of pretty, old-fashioned pattern, and simple little dainties of a kin