a house by that time."

"We can get in somewhere," continued Bell. "There are plenty of
lodgings in Guestwick, you know." But the sound of the word lodgings
was uncomfortable in Mrs Dale's ears.

"If we are to go, let us go at once," said Lily. "We need not stand
much upon the order of our going."

"Your uncle will be very much shocked," said Mrs Dale.

"He cannot say that it is your fault," said Bell.

It was thus agreed between them that the necessary information should
be at once given to the squire, and that the old, well-loved house
should be left for ever. It would be a great fall in a worldly
point of view,--from the Allington Small House to an abode in some
little street of Guestwick. At Allington they had been county
people,--raised to a level with their own squire and other squires by
the circumstance of their residence; but at Guestwick they would be
small even among the people of the town. They would be on an equality
with the Eameses, and much looked down upon by the Gruffens. They
would hardly dare to call any more at Guestwick Manor, seeing that
they certainly could not expect Lady Julia to call upon them at
Guestwick. Mrs Boyce no doubt would patronise them, and they could
already anticipate the condolence which would be offered to them by
Mrs Hearn. Indeed such a movement on their part would be tantamount
to a confession of failure in the full hearing of so much of the
world as was known to them.

I must not allow my readers to suppose that these considerations were
a matter of indifference to any of the ladies at the Small House. To
some women of strong mind, of highly-strung philosophic tendencies,
such considerations might have been indifferent. But Mrs Dale was not
of this nature, nor were her daughters. The good things of the world
were good in their eyes, and they valued the privilege of a pleasant
social footing among their friends. They were by no means capable of
a wise contempt of the advantages which chance had hitherto given to
them. They could not go forth rejoicing in the comparative poverty of
their altered condition. But then, neither could they purchase those
luxuries which they were about to abandon at the price which was
asked for them.

"Had you not better write to my uncle?" said one of the girls. But
to this Mrs Dale objected that she could not make a letter on such a
subject clearly intelligible, and that therefore she would see the
squire on the following morning. "It w