there is anything vulgar in sincere affection. I shall be on my
guard against this woman."

Having settled that matter for the present, she resumed her
examination of the apartment, and was more and more attracted by it
as she proceeded. For, thanks to her eminence as a local beauty, she
had not that fear of beautiful and rich things which renders abject
people incapable of associating costliness with comfort. Had the
counterpane of the bed been her own, she would have unhesitatingly
converted it into a ball-dress. There were toilet appliances of
which she had never felt the need, and could only guess the use. She
looked with despair into the two large closets, thinking how poor a
show her three dresses, her ulster, and her few old jackets would
make there. There was also a dressing-room with a marble bath that
made cleanliness a luxury instead of one of the sternest of the
virtues, as it seemed at home. Yet she remarked that though every
object was more or less ornamental, nothing had been placed in the
rooms for the sake of ornament alone. Miss Carew, judged by her
domestic arrangements, was a utilitarian before everything. There
was a very handsome chimney piece; but as there was nothing on the
mantel board, Alice made a faint effort to believe that it was
inferior in point of taste to that in her own bedroom, which was
covered with blue cloth, surrounded by fringe and brass headed
nails, and laden with photographs in plush frames.

The striking of the hour reminded her that she had forgotten to
prepare for dinner. Khe hastily took off her hat, washed her hands,
spent another minute among the mirrors, and was summoning courage to
ring the bell, when a doubt occurred to her. Ought she to put on her
gloves before going down or not? This kept her in perplexity for