Hinton would ever keep pressing us to pass our cup and to fill our
plate. Twice during our meal she rose from her chair and withdrew
into a cupboard at the end of the room, and each time I saw Jim's
face cloud, for we heard a gentle clink of glass against glass.

"Come now, little man," said she to me, when the table had been
cleared. "Why are you looking round so much?"

"Because there are so many pretty things upon the walls."

"And which do you think the prettiest of them?"

"Why, that!" said I, pointing to a picture which hung opposite to
me. It was of a tall and slender girl, with the rosiest cheeks and
the tenderest eyes--so daintily dressed, too, that I had never seen
anything more perfect. She had a posy of flowers in her hand and
another one was lying upon the planks of wood upon which she was
standing.

"Oh, that's the prettiest, is it?" said she, laughing. "Well, now,
walk up to it, and let us hear what is writ beneath it."

I did as she asked, and read out: "Miss Polly Hinton, as 'Peggy,'
in The Country Wife, played for her benefit at the Haymarket
Theatre, September 14th, 1782."

"It's a play-actress," said I.

"Oh, you rude little boy, to say it in such a tone," said she; "as
if a play-actress wasn't as good as any one else. Why, 'twas but