“If you please, Mrs. Mason, I was not one of the most diligent; I am afraid—­I believe—­I was not diligent at all.  I was very tired; and I could not help thinking, and, when I think, I can’t attend to my work.”  She stopped, believing she had sufficiently explained her meaning; but Mrs. Mason would not understand, and did not wish for any further elucidation.

“Well, my dear, you must learn to think and work, too; or, if you can’t do both, you must leave off thinking.  Your guardian, you know, expects you to make great progress in your business, and I am sure you won’t disappoint him.”

But that was not to the point.  Ruth stood still an instant, although Mrs. Mason resumed her employment in a manner which any one but a “new girl” would have known to be intelligible enough, that she did not wish for any more conversation just then.

“But as I was not diligent I ought not to go, ma’am.  Miss Wood was far more industrious than I, and many of the others.”

“Tiresome girl!” muttered Mrs. Mason; “I’ve half a mind to keep her at home for plaguing me so.”  But, looking up, she was struck afresh with the remarkable beauty which Ruth possessed; such a credit to the house, with her waving outline of figure, her striking face, with dark eyebrows and dark lashes, combined with auburn hair and a fair complexion.  No! diligent or idle, Ruth Hilton must appear to-night.

“Miss Hilton,” said Mrs. Mason, with stiff dignity “I am not accustomed (as these young ladies can tell you) to have my decisions questioned.  What I say, I mean; and I have my reasons.  So sit down, if you please, and take care and be ready by eight.  Not a word more,” as she fancied she saw Ruth again about to speak.

“Jenny, you ought to have gone, not me,” said Ruth, in no low voice to Miss Wood, as she sat down by her.

“Hush!  Ruth.  I could not go if I might, because of my cough.  I would rather give it up to you than any one if it were mine to give.  And suppose it is, then take the pleasure as my present, and tell me every bit about it when you come home to-night.”

“Well!  I shall take it in that way, and not as if I’d earned it, which I haven’t.  So thank you.  You can’t think how I shall enjoy it now.  I did work diligently for five minutes last night, after I heard of it; I wanted to go so much.  But I could not keep it up.  Oh, dear! and I shall really hear a band! and see the inside of that beautiful shire-hall!”

CHAPTER II

BUTH GOES TO THE SHIRE-HALL

In due time that evening, Mrs. Mason collected her “young ladies” for an inspection of their appearance before proceeding to the shire-hall.  Her eager, important, hurried manner of summoning them was not unlike that of a hen clucking her chickens together; and, to judge from the close investigation they had to undergo, it might have been thought that their part in the evening’s performance was to be far more important than that of temporary ladies’-maids.