ladies over the way, which he did with much deliberateness.

He learnt that the widow, Mrs. Frankland, with her one daughter,
Frances, was of cheerful and excellent repute, energetic and
painstaking with her pupils, of whom she had a good many, and in
whose tuition her daughter assisted her. She was quite a recognized
townswoman, and though the dancing branch of her profession was
perhaps a trifle worldly, she was really a serious-minded lady who,
being obliged to live by what she knew how to teach, balanced matters
by lending a hand at charitable bazaars, assisting at sacred
concerts, and giving musical recitations in aid of funds for
bewildering happy savages, and other such enthusiasms of this
enlightened country. Her daughter was one of the foremost of the
bevy of young women who decorated the churches at Easter and
Christmas, was organist in one of those edifices, and had subscribed
to the testimonial of a silver broth-basin that was presented to the
Reverend Mr. Walker as a token of gratitude for his faithful and
arduous intonations of six months as sub-precentor in the Cathedral.
Altogether mother and daughter appeared to be a typical and innocent
pair among the genteel citizens of Exonbury.

As a natural and simple way of advertising their profession they
allowed the windows of the music-room to be a little open, so that
you had the pleasure of hearing all along the street at any hour
between sunrise and sunset fragmentary gems of classical music as
interpreted by the young people of twelve or fourteen who took
lessons there. But it was said that Mrs. Frankland made most of her
income by letting out pianos on hire, and by selling them as agent
for the makers.