ing too curious about books." Thus having put on paper her
reflections, she went to bed, having in mind a vague and naughty desire
to have seen Margaret in the foolish garb of worldly folk.

Margaret, ashamed, would go nowhere for a week, and did more than the
needed housework, to Nanny's disgust, whose remembrances were of days of
luxury and small need for "quality folks" to dust rooms. The work over,
when tired of her labor, Margaret sat out in the winter sunshine in the
fur-lined roquelaure, madame's extravagant gift, and, enraptured, read
"The Mysteries of Udolpho," or closing the book, sailed with the
_Marie_, and wondered what San Domingo was like.

Meanwhile the town, very gay just now with dinners Mr. John Adams
thought so excessive, and with sleigh-riding parties to Belmont and
Cliveden, rang with wild statements of the dressing scene and the
lottery. Very comic it was to the young bucks, and, "Pray, Mrs. Byrd,
did the garters fit?" "Fie, for shame!" "And no stays, we hear," wives
told their husbands, and once in the London Coffee-house, in front of
which, long ago, Congo slaves were sold and where now men discussed
things social, commercial, and political, Schmidt had called a man to
stern account and exacted an apology. The gay girls told their Quaker
cousins, and at last Friends were of a mind to talk to Mary Swanwick,
especially of the lottery.

Before graver measures were taken, it was advisable that one should
undertake to learn the truth, for it was felt not to be desirable to
discipline by formal measures so blameless a member where clearly there
had been much exaggeration of statement.

Ten days after the dinner at Landsdowne, John Pemberton was met in the
hall of the Swanwick house by Mr. Schmidt, both women being out. The
German at once guessed the errand of this most kindly of Quaker gentles,
and said, "Mr. Pemberton, you are come, I suppose, to speak for Friends
of the gossip about these, my own friends. Pray be seated. They are
out."

"But my errand is not to thee, who art not of the Society of Friends."

"I am of the society of these friends. I know why you are come. Talk to
me."

"I am advised in spirit that it may be as well to do so. Thou art a just
man. I shall speak."

On this he sat down. It was a singular figure the German saw. The broad,
white beaver hat, which the Quaker gentleman kept on his head, was
turned up in front and at the back over abundant gray hair. A great
eagle no