never will tell me where, because, she says, I’ve such weak nerves, and that if a burglar, with a loaded pistol at my head, were to ask me where we kept our plate and jewels, I should be sure to tell him; and, she says, for her part, she would never think of revealing it under any circumstances. (I’m sure I hope she won’t be tried.) But that’s the reason I don’t wear it often; it’s only the second time I’ve had it on; and I can’t even get at it, and look at it, which I should like to do. I shouldn’t have had it on to-night, but that Dorothy gave it out to me, saying it was but a proper compliment to pay to the Duchess of Menteith, who is to be here in her diamonds.”

“Dear-ah-me! Is she really! Do you know I never saw a duchess before!” And Miss Piper drew herself up and craned her neck, as if resolved to “behave herself properly,” as she had been taught to do at a boarding-school thirty years before, in the presence of “her Grace.” By-and-by, she said to Phœbe, with a sudden jerk out of position—“Look, look! that’s our Mr. Cholmley, the magistrate” (he was the great man of Coreham); “and that’s Mrs. Cholmley in red satin, and Mr. George and Mr. Harry from Oxford, I do declare; and Miss Cholmley; and pretty Miss Sophy. I should like to go and speak to them, but then it’s so formidable crossing a room without a gentleman. And there is Coxe the butcher and his wife! Why, all Coreham seems to be here! And how Mrs. Coxe can afford such a gown I can’t make out, for one; for I know Coxe had some difficulty in paying for the last sheep he bought of my brother.”

Just at this moment the band, consisting of two violins, a harp, and an occasional clarionet, having finished their tuning, and brought themselves as nearly into accord as was possible, struck up a brisk country- dance, and partners quickly took their places. Mrs. Gibson was secretly a little annoyed at Cynthia’s being one of those to stand up in this early dance, the performers in which were principally the punctual plebeians of Hollingford, who, when a ball was fixed to begin at eight, had no notion of being later, and so losing part of the amusement for which they had paid their money. She imparted some of her feelings to Molly, sitting by her, longing to dance, and beating time to the spirited music with one of her pretty little feet.

“Your dear papa is always so very punctual! To-night it seems almost a pity, for we really are here before there is any one come that we know.”

“Oh! I see so many people here that I know. There are Mr. and Mrs. Smeaton, and that nice good- tempered daughter.”

“Oh! booksellers and butchers, if you will.”

“Papa has found a great many friends to talk to.”

“Patients, my dear—hardly friends. There are some nice-looking people here,” catching her eye on the Cholmleys; “but I daresay they have driven over from the neighbourhood of Ashcombe or Coreham, and have hardly calculated how soon they would get here. I wonder when the Towers party will come. Ah! there’s Mr. Ashton, and Mr. Preston. Come, the room is beginning to fill.”

So it was, for this was to be a very good ball, people said; and a large party from the Towers was coming, and a duchess in diamonds among the number. Every great house in the district was expected to be full of guests on these occasions; but, at this early hour, the townspeople had the floor almost entirely to themselves; the county-magnates came dropping in later; and chiefest among them all was the lord- lieutenant from the Towers. But to-night they were unusually late; and, the aristocratic ozone being absent from the atmosphere, there was a flatness about the dancing of all those who considered themselves above the plebeian ranks of the tradespeople. They, however, enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and sprang and bounded, till their eyes sparkled and their cheeks glowed with exercise and excitement. Some of the more prudent parents, mindful of the next day’s duties, began to consider at what hour they ought to go home; but with all there was an expressed or unexpressed curiosity to see the duchess and her diamonds; for the Menteith diamonds were famous in higher circles than that now assembled; and their fame had trickled down to it through the medium of lady’smaids and housekeepers. Mr. Gibson had had to leave the ball-room for a time, as he had anticipated, but he was to return to his wife as soon