’Upon my word, I really do think this is a better room than our Ashcombe Court-house!’

‘And how prettily it is decorated!’ piped out Miss Piper.  ’How well the roses are made!  But you all have such taste at Hollingford.’

‘There’s Mrs. Dempster,’ cried Miss Hornblower; ’she said she and her two daughters were asked to stay at Mr. Sheepshanks’.  Mr Preston was to be there, too; but I suppose they could not all come at once.  Look! and there is young Roscoe, our new doctor.  I declare it seems as if all Ashcombe were here.  Mr. Roscoe!  Mr. Roscoe! come here and let me introduce you to the Miss Brownings, the friends we are staying with.  We think very highly of our young doctor, I can assure you, Miss Browning.’

Mr. Roscoe bowed, and simpered at hearing his own praises.  But Miss Browning had no notion of having any doctor praised, who had come to settle even on the very verge of Mr. Gibson’s practice, so she said to Miss Hornblower,—­

’You must be glad, I am sure, to have somebody you can call in, if you are in any sudden hurry, or for things that are too trifling to trouble Mr. Gibson about; and I should think Mr. Roscoe would feel it a great advantage to profit, as he will naturally have the opportunity of doing, by witnessing Mr. Gibson’s skill!’

Probably Mr. Roscoe would have felt more aggrieved by this speech than he really was, if his attention had not been called off just then by the entrance of the very Mr. Gibson who was being spoken of.  Almost before Miss Browning had ended her severe and depreciatory remarks, he had asked his friend Miss Hornblower,—­

‘Who is that lovely girl in pink, just come in?’

‘Why, that’s Cynthia Kirkpatrick!’ said Miss Hornblower, taking up a ponderous gold eyeglass to make sure of her fact.  ’How she has grown!  To be sure it is two or three years since she left Ashcombe—­she was very pretty then—­people did say Mr. Preston admired her very much; but she was so young!’

‘Can you introduce me?’ asked the impatient young surgeon.  ’I should like to ask her to dance.’  When Miss Hornblower returned from her greeting to her former acquaintance, Mrs. Gibson, and had accomplished the introduction which Mr. Roscoe had requested, she began her little confidences to Miss Browning.

’Well, to be sure!  How condescending we are!  I remember the time when Mrs. Kirkpatrick wore old black silks, and was thankful and civil as became her place as a schoolmistress, and as having to earn her bread.  And now she is in a satin; and she speaks to me as if she just could recollect who I was, if she tried very hard!  It isn’t so long ago since Mrs. Dempster came to consult me as to whether Mrs Kirkpatrick would be offended, if she sent her a new breadth for her lilac silk-gown, in place of one that had been spoilt by Mrs Dempster’s servant spilling the coffee over it the night before; and she took it and was thankful, for all she’s dressed in pearl-grey satin now!  And she would have been glad enough to marry Mr. Preston in those days.’