ificant manner, "What
are you about?" to the two footmen. This piece of attention was bestowed
upon her to her surprise and to Mrs. Melwyn's great satisfaction.

"We thought you would excuse us. The soup has been set aside for you,"
said the lady of the house.

"Oh, thank you, ma'am, pray don't trouble yourself."

"Give Miss Arnold soup."

Again in a stern, authoritative voice from the General. Mrs. Melwyn was
used to the sternness, and most agreeably surprised at the politeness,
and quite grateful for it. Lettice thought the voice and look too
terrible to take pleasure in any thing connected with it.

She had no need to feel gratitude either--it was not done out of
consideration for her. The general, who, with the exception of Randall,
kept, as far as he was concerned, every servant in the utmost
subservience, did not choose that any one who had the honor of a seat at
his table should be neglected by those "rascals," as he usually styled
his footmen.

* * * * *

It being the first evening, Mrs. Melwyn had too much politeness to
require Miss Arnold to enter upon those after-dinner duties, the
performance of which had been expressly stipulated for by Catherine;
stipulated for, not only with Lettice, but with the general himself.
She has made her father promise that he would suffer this young lady to
undertake the place of reader--which Catherine had herself filled for
some time, to the inexpressible relief of her mother--and that Miss
Arnold should be permitted to try whether she could play well enough at
backgammon to make an adversary worth vanquishing.

He had grumbled and objected, as a matter of course, to this
arrangement, but had finally consented. However, he was not particularly
impatient to begin; and besides, he was habitually a well-bred man, so
that any duty which came under his category of good manners he
punctually performed. People are too apt to misprize this sort of
politeness of mere habit; yet, as far as it goes, it is an excellent
thing. It enhances the value of a really kind temper in all the domestic
relations, to an incalculable degree--a degree little appreciated by
some worthy people, who think roughness a proof of sincerity, and that
rudeness marks the honest truth of their affections. And where there is
little kindness of nature, and a great deal of selfishness and
ill-tempered indulgence, as in this cross, old man before us, still the
habit of politene