"Her name," responded Kate, "is Beatrice Meadowsweet. I won't say any
more about her. If ever you meet her, which isn't likely, you can judge
for yourself of her merits."

"Kitty is rather cross about Beatrice," said Mabel; then she continued,
"Loftie, what do you think? Mother has cut all the Northbury folk."

"Mabel, you talk very wild nonsense."

It was Kate who spoke. She rose from the breakfast-table with an annoyed
expression.

"Wild or not--it is true," replied Mabel. "Mother has cut the Northbury
people, cut them dead. They came to see us, they came in troops. Such
funny folk! The first lot were let in. Mother was like a poker. She
astonished her visitors, and the whole scene was so queer and
uncomfortable, although mother was freezingly _polite_, that Kate
and I got out of the room. The next day more people came--and more, and
more every day, but Clara had her orders, and we weren't 'at home.'
Kitty and I used to watch the poor Northburians from behind the
summer-house. One day Kitty laughed. It was awful, and I am sure they
heard.

"Another day a dreadful little woman with rolling eyes said she would
leave a tract on _Lying_ in the avenue--I wish she had. But I
suppose she thought better of it.

"Then there came a bazaar, a great bazaar, and the Rector invited us,
and said all the Northburians would be there. What do you think mother