’It just shows what a sweet disposition Osborne Hamley is of—­that he should praise his brother as he does.  I daresay he is senior wrangler, and much good may it do him!  I don’t deny that; but as for conversation, he’s as heavy as heavy can be.  A great awkward fellow to boot, who looks as if he did not know two and two made four, for all he is such a mathematical genius.  You would hardly believe he was Osborne Hamley’s brother to see him!  I should not think he had a profile at all.’

‘What do you think of him, Molly?’ said the persevering Cynthia.

‘I like him,’ said Molly.  ’He has been very kind to me.  I know he isn’t handsome like Osborne.’

It was rather difficult to say all this quietly, but Molly managed to do it, quite aware that Cynthia would not rest till she had extracted some kind of an opinion out of her.

‘I suppose he will come home at Easter,’ said Cynthia, ’and then I shall see him for myself.’

’It’s a great pity that their being in mourning will prevent their going to the Easter charity ball,’ said Mrs. Gibson, plaintively.  ’I shan’t like to take you two girls, if you are not to have any partners.  It will put me in such an awkward position.  I wish we could join on to the Towers party.  That would secure you partners, for they always bring a number of dancing men, who might dance with you after they had done their duty by the ladies of the house.  But really everything is so changed since dear Lady Cumnor has been an invalid that perhaps they won’t go at all.’

This Easter ball was a great subject of conversation with Mrs Gibson.  She sometimes spoke of it as her first appearance in society as a bride, though she had been visiting once or twice a week all winter long.  Then she shifted her ground, and said she felt so much interest in it, because she would then have the responsibility of introducing both her own and Mr. Gibson’s daughter to public notice, though the fact was that pretty nearly every one who was going to this ball had seen the two young ladies—­though not their ball dresses—­before.  But, aping the manners of the aristocracy as far as she knew them, she intended to ‘bring out’ Molly and Cynthia on this occasion, which she regarded in something of the light of a presentation at Court.  ’They are not out yet,’ was her favourite excuse when either of them was invited to any house to which she did not wish them to go, or invited without her.  She even made a difficulty about their ‘not being out’ when Miss Browning—­that old friend of the Gibson family—­came in one morning to ask the two girls to come to a very friendly tea and a round game afterwards; this mild piece of gaiety being designed as an attention to three of Mrs. Goodenough’s grandchildren—­two young ladies and their school-boy brother—­who were staying on a visit to their grandmamma.

’You are very kind, Miss Browning, but you see I hardly like to let them go—­they are not out, you know, till after the Easter ball.’