"And yourself, Mary?" asked the curate, who had listened with some amusement to this explanation.
"Oh! my dress will do up nicely: I can make it quite fresh with a little ironing and plaiting," said Mary, briskly. "Only say we may, papa!"
Though all papa said was "Foolish children!" it was said with a smile which made his daughters fly round him with kisses and delighted thanks.
A very pleasant little note from Mrs. Lester arrived a few days before the ball, hoping that they would allow the brougham to be sent for them, and reminding the sisters that they were to consider themselves in her charge for the evening.
At last came the great day itself; and a busy, bustling, happy day it was, such as young ladies who go habitually to two or three balls a night can form no idea of. Such a perpetual buzz of chatter and laughing went on, as would have driven the curate wild, but for his peculiar power of abstracting himself from what went on about him. But even he showed some interest when the girls made their appearance in the parlour early in the evening, ready dressed, in order that they might not keep the brougham one moment waiting.
Laurry and Jack, who had insisted on the unwonted extravagance of two pairs of candles, in order that their sisters' magnificence might appear to advantage, capered about in a high state of excitement, in dangerous proximity to the floating muslin robes.
"You really are worth looking at, I must say," cried Mr. Mackworth, smiling approvingly; while his wife's eyes glistened with pride at sight of her bright pair of girls.
"Doesn't Cilla look charming?" Mary cried, her eyes riveted on her sister: who certainly did look remarkably pretty in the white draperies, exquisitely fresh and crisp, as if the sewing and trimming had been performed by fairy fingers; wavy lines of green, pale yet bright, wandered about under the muslin, and peeped out more decidedly in the folds of the bodice; and a wreath of real holly encircled the small head, only the green, white-speckled leaves in front, and a few bright berries mixing with her soft, loose hair at the back, like coral set in gold. Mary's best care and skill had not been able to give her own often-worn dress quite the fresh, full sit of her sister's, but it was well made and appropriate, and a few bright dashes of holly trimmed it here and there, matching the wreath, in which, mindful of her own dark colouring, Mary had left a larger number of berries than she had allowed to Cilla. Nothing could have been more becoming than the rich full colour was to her; and at her openly expressed admiration of Cilla, the parents exchanged a smile which meant that Mary herself was by no means unworthy of being admired and sought after. Harry appeared to less advantage than his sisters. It was not in Mary's power to make his dress anything very first rate; and he was at the age when a lad is painfully conscious that he has ceased to be a boy, and is a very poor imitation of a man.
The brougham arrived, the trio started, and, after a rather nervous and silent drive through the dark lanes, entered the gates of Nettlehurst, and came in sight of the house, blazing with lights: the conservatory, with its coloured lamps and lovely flowers, looking like an enchanted palace.
The library was the reception-room, as the drawing-room was given up to the dancers. At the door stood Mrs. Lester, in the handsome black robes which she had never cast off since her early widowhood. Her cordial greeting set the fluttered girls at once at their ease. The brougham had been sent so early that they were almost the first arrivals. Very soon Mr. Langley joined them:
"I am so very glad to see you here," he said to Mary; "I was afraid Mr. Mackworth would not let you come now."
"He was very glad for us to have the pleasure," said Mary.
"Yes, but I feared that now perhaps he might change his mind. It would have been very cruel."
"But why should he?" asked Mary, bewildered.
"Have you not heard?" Mr. Langley was beginning; but a fresh arrival called him away, and the guests began rapidly to assemble.
It was a great amusement to Mary to watch them, and to see so many people who had hitherto been only names to her. All the higher class of professional people from Brigham were the first to arrive: and a little later the county families, of whom there were many. Mary noticed with what marked cordiality they appeared to welcome the banker into their ranks, and her heart swelled with a feeling of pride, for which she laughed at herself, as she recalled all she had lately heard her father and brother say of the high reputation for honour, libera-
