why her childish fancy had always believed Christiana's Mercy a
living character, when she found herself in the calm, happy little
household. The chief change was that she must now bend down, instead
of reaching up, to receive the kind embraces. Even the garments
seemed unchanged, the dark merino gowns, black silk aprons, white
cap-ribbons, the soft little Indian shawl worn by the elder sister,
the ribbon bow by the younger, distinctions that used to puzzle her
infant speculation, not aware that the coloured bow was Miss Mercy's
ensign of youth, and that its absence would have made Miss Salome
feel aged indeed. The two sisters were much alike--but the younger
was the more spare, shrivelled up into a cheery nonpareil, her bloom
changed into something quite as fresh and healthful, and her blithe
tripping step always active, except when her fingers were nimbly
taking their turn. Miss Salome had become more plump, her cheek was
smoother and paler, her eye more placid, her air that of a patient
invalid, and her countenance more intellectual than her sister's.
She said less about their extreme enjoyment of the yam, and while
Mrs. Frost and Mary held counsel with Miss Mercy on servants and
furniture, there was a talk on entomology going on between her and
Fitzjocelyn.

It was very pretty to see him with the old ladies, so gently
attentive, without patronizing, and they, though evidently doting on
him, laughing at him, and treating him like a spoilt child. He
insisted on Mary's seeing their ordinary sitting room, which nature
had intended for a housekeeper's room, but which ladylike inhabitants
had rendered what he called the very 'kernel of the House Beautiful.'
There were the stands of flowers in the window; the bullfinch
scolding in his cage, the rare old shells and china on the old-
fashioned cabinets that Mary so well remembered; and the silk