rbed surprise. The girls greeted Brooks with a
great show of pleasure, but they looked doubtfully at Mary.

"Did you meet at the front door?" Selina asked. "I thought I heard
voices." Brooks was a little surprised.

"Your cousin brought her class of factory girls to my lecture to-night
at the Secular Hall."

Selina's eyes narrowed a little, and she was silent for a moment. Then
she turned to her cousin.

"You might have told us, Mary," she exclaimed, reproachfully. "We
should so much have liked to come, shouldn't we, Louise?"

"Of course we should," Louise answered, snappishly. "I can't think why
Mary should go off without saying a word."

Mary looked at them both and laughed. "Well," she said, "I have left
the house at precisely the same time on 'Wednesday evenings all through
the winter, and neither of you have said anything about coming with me."

"This is quite different," Selina answered, cuttingly. "We should very
much have enjoyed Mr. Brooks' lecture. Do tell us what it was about."

"Don't you be bothered, Brooks," Mr. Bullsom exclaimed, hospitably.
"Sit down and try one of these cigars. We've had supper, but if you'd
like anything--"

"Nothing to eat, thanks," Brooks protested. "I'll have a cigar if I
may."

"And a whisky-and-soda, then," Mr. Bullsom insisted. "Say when!"

Brooks turned to Selina. Mary had left the room. "You were asking
about the lecture," he said. "Really, it was only a very unpretentious
affair, and to tell you the truth, only intended for people whose
opportunities for reading have not been great. I am quite sure it would
not have been worth your while to come down. We just read a chapter or
so from A Tale of Two Cities, and talked about it."

"We should have liked it very mulch," Selina declared. "Do tell us when
there is another one, will you?"

"With pleasure," he answered. "I warn you, though, that you will be
disappointed."

"We will risk that," Selina declared, with a smile. "Have you been to
Enton this week?"

"I was there on Sunday," he answered.

"And is that beautiful girl, Lady Sybil Caroom, still staying there?

"Yes," he answered. "Is she very beautiful, by the bye?"

"Well, I thought men would think so," Selina said, hastily. "I think
that she is just a little loud, don't you, Louise?"

Louise admitted that the idea had occurred to her.

"And her hair--isn't it badly dyed?" Selina remarked. "Such a pity.
It's all in patches."

"I think girls ought not