society of a distinctly lower strata than that into which she had been
born would be forced on her. Forced! Whoever yet had forced Mrs. Bertram
into any path she did not care to walk in?

She was taken unawares by the first visitors, and they absolutely had
the privilege of sitting on her sofas, and responding to a few icy
remarks which dropped from her lips.

But the next day she was armed for the combat. The little parlor-maid,
in her neat black dress, clean muslin apron, large frilled, picturesque
collar, and high mob-cap, was instructed to say "Not at home" to all
comers. She was a country girl, not from Northbury, but from some still
more rusticated spot, and she thought she was telling a frightful lie,
and blushed and trembled while she uttered it. So apparent was her
confusion that Miss Peters, when she and her sister, Mrs. Butler,
appeared on the scene, rolled her eyes at the taller lady and asked her
in a pronounced manner if it would not be well to drop a tract on the
heinousness of lying in the avenue.

This speech was repeated by Clara to the cook, who told it again to the
young ladies' maid, who told it to the young ladies, who narrated it to
their mother.

Mrs. Bertram smiled grimly.

"Don't repeat gossip, my dears," she said, Then after a pause she
remarked aloud: "The difficulty will be about returning the calls."

Mabel, the youngest and most subservient of the girls, ventured to ask
her mother what she intended to do, but Mrs. Bertram was too wise to