Mainwarings' door, the old-fashioned little place felt quite a flutter
through its heart.

Poppy Jenkins, the laundress's pretty daughter, came out into the
street, and stared with all her eyes. The doctor's wife, who lived at
the opposite side of the street, gazed furtively and enviously from
behind her muslin blinds. The baker and the butcher neglected their
usual morning orders; and Hannah, the Mainwarings' servant, felt
herself, as she expressed it, all of a tremble from top to toe.

"Let me brush your hair, Miss Primrose," she said, when she had at
last succeeded in inducing her young lady to dry her tears; "and are
your hands nice and clean, Miss Primrose? and your collar, is it neat?
It's very condescending of Mrs. Ellsworthy to call."

"I wonder what she has come about," said Primrose; "she never knew my
mother."

Primrose felt at that moment the great lady's visit to be an
intrusion.

"I'll just run into the garden and stop Miss Jasmine and Miss Daisy
rushing into the drawing-room all in a mess," said Hannah. "Oh! sakes
alive! why, the young ladies will be seen anyhow from the French
window."

Hannah hurried off, wondering if she could smuggle these troublesome
members of her flock out of sight through the kitchen.

Alas! she was too late--when Primrose, slim and graceful, and with her
pretty eyes only slightly reddened by her crying fit, entered the
drawing-room, she saw the French doors open, and her guest pacing
tranquilly round the garden, hold the Pink in her arms, while Daisy
danced in front of her, and Jasmine, chattering volubly, walked by her
side.

"I'm so glad you like those carnations," Jasmine was saying. "Mamma
was very fond of them. Shall I set some slips for you? I will with
pleasure."

"If Pink ever has a kitten you shall have it," said Daisy solemnly.

At this moment Primrose joined her sisters.

"Oh, Primrose--something so delightful!" began Jasmine.

"She thinks the Pink a perfect beauty. She wants another pussy just
like it," burst from Daisy's pretty dimpled lips.

Mrs. Ellsworthy, still keeping the Pink in her arms, held out her
other hand to Primrose.

"I have introduced myself to your sisters, dear Miss Mainwaring. I am
Mrs. Ellsworthy, of Shortlands--a near neighbor. You must not consider
my visit an intrusion."

Before Primrose could reply Jasmine exclaimed volubly--

"Indeed we don't--we are quite delighted; we were feeling ourselves
awfully dull. Miss Martine