showed that he understood who they were and that the little house
made no difference to him, the girls and the mother could not resist
a side glance at Fenmarket and the indulgence of a secret
satisfaction that it would soon hear that the son of Mr Palmer, so
well known in every town round about, was on intimate terms with
them.

Madge was particularly gay that evening. The presence of sympathetic
people was always a powerful stimulus to her, and she was often
astonished at the witty things and even the wise things she said in
such company, although, when she was alone, so few things wise or
witty occurred to her. Like all persons who, in conversation, do not
so much express the results of previous conviction obtained in
silence as the inspiration of the moment, Madge dazzled everybody by
a brilliancy which would have been impossible if she had communicated
that which had been slowly acquired, but what she left with those who
listened to her, did not always seem, on reflection, to be so much as
it appeared to be while she was talking. Still she was very
charming, and it must be confessed that sometimes her spontaneity was
truer than the limitations of speech more carefully weighed.

'What makes you stay in Fenmarket, Mrs Hopgood? How I wish you would
come to London!'

'I do not wish to leave it now; I have become attached to it; I have
very few friends in London, and lastly, perhaps the most convincing
reason, I could not afford it. Rent and living are cheaper here than
in town.'

'Would you not like to live in London, Miss Hopgood?'