ditor who was nothing loth to be so treated, and to be
furnished with stores of information on points which had aroused his
ardent curiosity. She forgot all about taking him out of his way, and
when they reached Welby Square she crowned her unbounded faith in him by
inviting him into the house. On his acceptance of her invitation, after
a moment's hesitation, she presented him to Mrs. Jennings as a friend of
Annie's from St. Ebbe's.

The young man had the grace to feel his ears tingle while Mrs. Jennings,
looking a little astonished, took him on Rose's word, bowed her welcome,
begged him to sit down with her usual gracious, languid good-breeding,
and said she was glad to see any friend of Miss Annie Millar's.

He did his best, with a flushed face, to remedy his and Rose's rashness.
He put down his card, with Harry Ironside, M.D., engraved on it, at Mrs.
Jennings's elbow. He set himself with a strenuous and sincere effort to
talk to her, and so to conduct himself as to do credit to Rose's
voucher.

Mrs. Jennings was easily propitiated on receiving the attention which
was due to her. She thought the young man's manners perfectly good; they
had well-bred ease, and at the same time the modesty which ought to
accompany youth, though his introduction to her had been somewhat
informal.

Irregularity and singularity were among the fashions of the day. She
would have been glad if her daughter Hester, in carrying out these
fashions, had brought forward no rougher, or commoner-looking, or more
eccentric satellites and proteges--secretaries of those horrid women's
unions and clubs--than this friend of Rose and Annie Millar's.

Mrs. Jennings never forgot a name and its social connection. "Ironside?"
she repeated tentatively, but with an air of agreeable expectation. "I
am familiar with the name. One of my sons, Captain Lawrence Jennings,
when his regiment was at Manchester, knew and received much kindness
from a family named Ironside."

"It must have been the family of one of my uncles," said Dr. Harry
Ironside, eagerly. "My Uncle John, and my Uncle Charles too, for that
matter, stay in Manchester. Both are married men with families. My Uncle
John was mayor a few years ago."

"The same," cried Mrs. Jennings with bland satisfaction. "Lawrie's
Ironsides were the family of the mayor, I remember perfectly when you
mention it;" and she added the mental note, "They were among the richest
cotton-brokers in the place--well-nigh mill