y, like every other outward adornment of hers. This was little
matter, she reflected, for it would not dress under the most skilful
artist into those enormous bows on the crown of the head which everybody
then wore--it would only go into comb-curls like little hair turrets on
each side of her round, full forehead, which was by no means scanty. She
had no ornaments in the way of jewellery, save a coral necklace; while
Corrie had a set of amethysts--real amethysts--ear-rings, brooch, and
necklace, and a gold cross and a gold watch, which she rarely wound up,
and which was therefore, as Chrissy said, "a dead-alive affair." But
Corrie was a beauty and an heiress, and ornaments became her person and
position; while on Chrissy, as she herself admitted with great good
sense, they would only have been thrown away. And what did Chrissy care
for her appearance so long as her dress was modest and neat? She could
walk about and listen to the ravishing music, and study the characters
she saw, from Corrie up to the Countess, wife of the one earl who came
to Priorton, and who was Colonel of the yeomanry. The day or two before
the Yeomanry arrived was spent by the two girls in walking about,
shopping and making calls. Corrie, though a beauty, proved herself a
very dull companion for another girl to walk with. Very pretty to look
at was Corrie in a fair, still, swan-like style of beauty; and she had a
great many pretty dresses, over which she became a little more animated
when Chrissy, as a last resource and for their relief, would ask her to
turn them over and show them again. Corrie, of course, never dreamt of
offering poor Chrissy a loan of any of those worked pelerines or aprons,
which would have fitted either equally well. But Chrissy did not want
them, and she got a use out of them as they were brought out one by one
and spread before her. Ere the Yeomanry came, Chrissy knew the stock by
heart, and could have drawn them, and cut out patterns and shapes of
them, and probably did so, the little jade, when she got home.

Bourhope came with his fellows, and was more specially introduced to
Corrie and Chrissy. He had had some general acquaintance with both of
them before. He gallantly expressed his pleasure at the prospect of
having their society during his stay at Priorton. He was a farmer whose
father had made money at war prices. He had bought his own farm, and
thus constituted his son a small laird. He had an independent bearing,
as