Oh'?" asked Hatty, whose eyes
laughed with fun.

"Oh, nothing," I replied.

"Oh!" replied Hatty, so exactly in my tone that I could not help
laughing. "Take care, her Ladyship may see you."

"Hatty, why do you call Cecilia `her Ladyship'?"

"Well, it doesn't know anything, does it?" replied Hatty, in her teasing
way. "Only just up from the country, isn't it? Madam, Mr Anthony
Parmenter as was (as old Will says) is Sir Anthony Parmenter; and Miss
Cecilia Osborne as was, is her Ladyship."

"Do you mean to say Cecilia has married Mr Parmenter?"

"Oh dear, no! she has married Sir Anthony."

"Then she jilted our father for a title? The snake!"

"Don't use such charming language, my sweetest; her Ladyship might not
admire it. And if I were you, I would make myself scarce; she is coming
this way."

"Then I will go the other," said I, and I did.

To my astonishment, as soon as I had left her, what should Hatty do but
walk up and shake hands with Cecilia, and in a few minutes they and Mr
Parmenter were all laughing about something. I was amazed beyond words.
I had always thought Hatty pert, teasing, disagreeable; but never
underhand or mean. But just then I saw a good-looking young man join
them, and offer his arm to Hatty for a walk round the room; and it
flashed on me directly that this was young Mr Crossland, and that he
was a friend of Mr--I mean Sir Anthony--Parmenter.

When we were undressing that night, I said,--

"Annas, can a person do anything to make the world better?"

"What person?" asked she, and smiled.

"Well, say me. Can I do anything?"

"Certainly. You can be as good as you know how to be."

"But that won't make other people better."

"I do not know that. Some other people it may."

"But that will be the people who are good already. I want to mend the
people who are bad."

"Then pray for them," said Annas, gravely.

Pray for Cecilia Osborne! It came upon me with a feeling of intense
aversion. I could not pray for her!

Nor did I think there would be a bit of good in praying for Hatty. And
yet--if she were getting drawn into Cecilia's toils--if that young Mr
Crossland were not a good man--I might pray for her to be kept safe. I
thought I would try it.

But when I began to pray for Hatty, it seemed unkind to leave out Fanny
and Sophy. And then I got to Father and my Aunt Kezia; and then to
Maria and Bessy; and then to Sam and Will; and then to old Elspie; and
then to H