by The distance had been traversed in total silence. The Commissioner had been fully vecupied with his steering. Tom Alison was chuckling over some parting juke. And Mrs, Drury was nursing up her wrath at what she very justifiably denounced in her mind as the extreme rudeness of the new comer.
To have met Mrs, Drury on deck, just shaken hands with her, and then not' nddress single syllable to her again, but devote herself ty a boy on £300 or £400 4 year, and not even take any notice of Commissioner! It made "Mrs. Drury's blood bull. What, be treated like a sehoulgit], or a servant, by a girl of that age, who very likely had neither futher nor mother boast of, and certainly could never have possessed & grandfather! And to Mrs, Drury, too, the cousin of a baronet, the wife of the Commissioner of Customs, the person without whose leave no dog dared wag its tail in all North Furmosa!" There could only be one of two explanations for such astounding conduct; either the girl way mad, or she had never been in the society of a lady before, and therefore did not know how to behave towards one.
No, Mes. Drury knew no more what to do now that she had seen the monster than she had done before. And she could not consult Mr. Drury now, even if he were willing to give advice, because there was a certain feeling of pride which kept her back from showing before Tom Alison that she had been mortified by her reception on buard the Tuitoun. And so when she got out of the gig and walked up to her elie on her husband's arm, she made nu remark on the exped But Mr. Drury shook his head to himself when he heard the order given to the chair-coolies: 'Go Number 'Two Haikwan." For he himself was the Number One Haikwan, and the " Number Two Haikwan Missey," a Mrs. Clay, mother of six blooming children, was Mrs.' Drury's most devoted slave and general recipient of all manner of gossip, scandal, slander and evil-speaking. children towards. the dour when Mr.
There was & veneral stampede of small Deury's curlies hud deposited their burden in the verandah of Mrs. Clay's house. The dyer was flung violently open by a boy of about 8 yours nf age, who vas being hotly pursued, perhaps on account of a half devoured banana he hell in one hand, by a girl a year or two younger, weeping enpiously "and audibly. Mrs." Drury escaped these two youthful fiends tu fall into a snare laid just inside the door, consisting of two or three lamps, a case of petroleum, a tray and several glasses half full ut various liquida, These perils again passed, she reached the drawing-room dvyr, from whence she could see twe more children, one lying on the rug and the other on the sofa, while tie mother herself was sitting at a writing table, evidently trying to welte some chits, "You haven't got any of the children ill again, surely," said Mrs. Drury towards Mrs. Clay's back ere either of the two children could give the alarm.
Mrs. Clay gave a start as though she had been shot. She was a woman of weak nerves, clad in a grey knitted shawl, who suffered terribly if any one suddenly addressed her, more especially from an unseen ron, Mrs. D: he gasped out. "I didn't hear you coe in." And "Oh, it is you, Mrs. Drury," she gasp
fully conscious of the difference between Mrs. Drury's Parisian gown and her own morning dress, which was pre-eminently that of the mother of a family, she crossed the room and led Mrs, Drury to a seat.
"Yes, the children have got whooping cough, and I was just writing you a chit to if you could not lend me some raspberry vinegar. Iam quite out of it."
'Dis. Clay was in a perpetual state of being out of every imaginable article of food and dress. However, Mrs. Drury never resented or refused' her requests, whether they might be for a reel of cotton or a buttle of port wine. Nur did she furnish the improvident Mrs. Clay with gvvds for the sake of putting her under Obligations. For with all her other faults Mrs. Drury was a kind-hearted woman, and besides dearly loved to make a fuss.
"Yes, you shall have it," she answered, and Mrs. Clay's face brightened, Then there was a silence for " few minutes, dur:
which the children, probably find:
room dull, betuuk themselves to another T have just come from the Taiwan," remarked Mrs. Drury. She had known all along that the conversation must begin and end with herself. Mrs, Clay never rose munch beyond smiling and showing all her teeth, except when the subject discussed was babies.
"Yes: issue in asked Mrs, Clay, Her attention was probably being distracted by sounds of heavily falling objects in the room to which the children had betoken themselves.
"Mr, Reynolds lias currie back—married," went on Mrs, Drury, with an pressive pause befure the last word.
Mr. Clay told me at tifin, Is she was almost tuo much for Mrs, Drury's patience. But still she felt she was capable of making a grand impression yet, even ona Mrs. Clay. So she shifted her chair in 9 mysterious manner, and leaning forward addressed Mrs, Clay in an undertone.
"Tam afraid, Mrs. Clay, I am very afraid. I only hope, for th mau's sake, that I may be wren; Wrong in what ®" asked Mrs, something like a terrified vole she any disease 7"
Morally, or weutally, if you mean, dea Mrs. Clay, I'm afraid T can't answer you. But our mothers, your dear mother, Mrs. Clay, and mine, what would they say to us now? And shut up in such a small community too, we who have been so particu. larly fortunate in the members of it—ah, I fear, I fear "What do you mean, dear Mrs. Drury? Is she mad, then asked Mrs. Clay in an excited tone. How dreadful that will be I wonder if she's violer "No, dear Mrs. Clay, not mad, T hope, but"—Here Mrs. Drury broke off abruptly and required to be entreated most pathetic cally by Mrs. Clay before she could continue her narrative But just at that juncture, when the excitement of Mrs. Clay had been worked up to boiling point, and Mrs, Drury herself felt that the moment had come for speaking, a tramp of coolies at the door announced the arrival of another visitor, who was forthwith ushered into the drawing-rom.
The new comer, by name Mrs. De Lacy Smith, was the wife of the nidest resident in Kantow. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, who since their last voyage to England,' some seven years since, had adopted tke prename De Lacy, were a stout elderly couple, he a very wealthy tea-merchant, she a able dame. Of course she possessed a few illusions as regarded her own person and powers, dating probably from the time when she had been the prettiest girl in South China. But these foibles were very excusable, and if anything rather added to her charm, by making her friends feel in a delightful uncertainty as to how she would be disposed towards them next time they met. All the young men artistically inclined submitted their drawings to her eri-ticism, before going on to laugh over these same criticisms at Mrs. Drury's. It is doubtful whether there could have been Divine service in the little chapel on the hill if Mr. De Lacy Smith, or at any rate his wife, had not graced the building with their presence, The organising and arranging of the choir was entirely in her hands. And she really acquitted herself to the satisfaction of every one in all her under-
"Dear Mrs. De Lacy Smith cried Mrs, Drury enthusiastically, entirely eclipse ing Mrs." Clay in her reception of her visitor, I am so glad you have come,
your advice about something."
was jao going on to your house to ask "Well, dear," answered the stout elderly, lady in her most genial voice, you know you are always. welcome to miy advice. What is it about?"
Mrs, Drury only wanted an opening for speech. In & very few moments her two hearers were listening; Mrs. Clay with alarm, Mrs. De Lacy Smith with the grave air of a judge, to Mrs. Drury's account of her suspicions concerning the new comer at the tittin-table, and the confirmation of them on board the Tuiwan. The presence and share of de Horny, an old ay.
Mrs. Smith's, did nvt lose in the telling. The bride herself had her full meed of looks given to her. Mi Dens was tuv Wise to cast doubts on the rest of her story by risking what would be apparent to all—Dut the bride's manner of dress came in for blame, And last, but not least, her tone and be-hi ur to the various men who had come en board to meet her, put the finishing touch to Mrs. Drury's picture, When she paused at length, rather from want of breath than of words, Mrs. Clay was looking intently at Mrs, Swnith, as though to learn her view of the matter from her face. That worthy lady was deliberately taking off her gloves, stretching each one out, and laying the tingers evenly side by side. Mrs. Drury looked on at this process for about two minutes, but finding the oracle did not seem inclined to speak, she opened the campaign herself. Now, Mrs. Smith, what are we ladies to do? Are we to introduce into our set, just because she happens to be the Consul's wife, a girl of no antecedents whatsoever? who has not a notion how to behave, and who evidently does not want to learn' manners Or are we to make a stand against this, and teach her she can't be insulting to us without suffering for it?"
"It is very awkward for everybody, my dear," said Mrs. Smith, putting one plump hand on Mrs. Drury's knee. You see, it is awkward for Mrs. Clay and me, because we have never seen Mrs, Reynolds."
"But you can take my account of her as well as though you had seen her cried Mrs. Drury, whose little tinge of Trish blood made her quick-tempered. Besides, there is Mr. Alison, and Mr. Vernon, and my husband."
"Yes, yes, dear," soothed Mrs. Smith. "But you will find it awkward yourself to shut her out of society, that is, unless you can prove she is not respectable."
'"How can we tell if she is?" put in Mrs. Clay. One can't ask to sve certificates ut birth and marriage. And oven if one could, that wouldn't clear all the years of her life."
"Mr. Reynolds would not marry avy one but a respectable person, or rather, no one but a respectable person would marry Mr.
Motherly, slightly vulgar, but highly esti- Reynolds," laughed Mre. Smith, gis
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.