so! I do not care so very much about her, but she has dear
little girls. And you know I am a born drudge. I have not been
working hard enough to enjoy an entire vacation, but I shall be
so very happy here if I can have some real work for an hour or
two every other day."

"Hope," said Philip, gravely, "look steadily at these people
whom we are meeting, and reflect. Should you like to have them
say, 'There goes Mrs. Meredith's music teacher'?"

"Why not?" said Hope, with surprise. "The children are young,
and it is not very presumptuous. I ought to know enough for
that."

Malbone looked at Kate, who smiled with delight, and put her
hand on that of Hope. Indeed, she kept it there so long that
one or two passing ladies stopped their salutations in mid
career, and actually looked after them in amazement at their
attitude, as who should say, "What a very mixed society!"

So they drove on,--meeting four-in-hands, and tandems, and
donkey-carts, and a goat-cart, and basket-wagons driven by
pretty girls, with uncomfortable youths in or out of livery
behind. They met, had they but known it, many who were aiming
at notoriety, and some who had it; many who looked contented
with their lot, and some who actually were so. They met some
who put on courtesy and grace with their kid gloves, and laid
away those virtues in their glove-boxes afterwards; while to
others the mere consciousness of kid gloves brought uneasiness,
redness of the face, and a general impression of being all made