Annie Kilburn

Peck. She felt the need of showing Mrs. Bolton that, although she had been civil to him, she had no sympathy with his ideas; but she could not t

mply. "He's rather of an absent-minded man, and I

y shabby!" said Annie, vexed that her

t if he kept more of his money for

in The Blithedale Romance, the only philanthropist whom she had really ever known, "They

s offended as Annie could have wished. About ten o'clock the bell rang, and she

which she wore on her plainly dressed hair. In one of her hands, which were cased in driving gloves of somewhat insistent evidence, she carried a robust black silk sun-umbrella, and the effect of her dress otherwise might be summarised in the statement that where other women would have worn lace, she seemed to wear leather. She had not only leather gloves, and a broad leather belt at her waist, but a leather

t I've been dispersed over the four quarters of the globe ever since you came, my dear. I got home last night on the nine o'clock train, in the

ir past non-acquaintance. "Yes, it was awful. An

been here. He was blowing about in the storm all day. Such a spirit! There was nothing serious

, was not sure where they had arrived, till Mrs. Munger added: "Jim's used to these things. I'm thankful it wasn't a finger, or an eye. What is that?" S

ings are all scattered about still; I ha

boro' with the right sort of people: it's so easy to get the wrong sort! But, so far, I think we've succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. It's easy enough to get nice people together at the seaside; but inland! No; it's only a very few

nie non-commit

ere myself,' as Jim says. But it grows upon you. I'm glad you didn't refu

ay something. "But to tell you the truth, Mrs. Munger, I do

erings." She said this as if she knew about the humour rather than felt it.

e. "Mr. Brandreth spoke of it, and I had an opportunity of

ease of expectance in her large clear eye

id Annie reluctantly, "

ably as if she were sitting for her p

he ridiculed Mr. Peck's appearance and manner, and laughed at his ideas to Mrs. Munger. She had not a good conscience i

in only what Mr. Peck had thought of the dance and suppe

purposes it amounts to that. You see what my 'influence' has done

the utmost lightness and indifference, "we'll

hat would be we

as very well to try the idea on some one who would be frank about it, and wouldn't go aw

use me. I don't think

," said Mrs. Munger. "His deacons, t

ie looked out at Mrs. Munger's basket-phaeton at her gate,

d to them," said Mrs. Munger. "We must have him-if only because he's

it overcame the question of taste which was rising in Annie's mind. She demurred a little more upon

heir shadows dance on the crisp roadway, packed hard by the rain, and faced with clean sand, which crackled pleasantly under Mrs. Mung

y were old g

't care at all. She's a delicious creature, Mrs. Wilmington-don't you think? That large, indolent

the character of a Titian-esque beauty with a gift for humorous dramatics, which she had filled out into during the years of

!" She pulled up suddenly beside a stout, short lady in a fashionable walking dress, who was pushing an

e approaching phaeton, and then looked away, so as not to have seemed to look, stopped ab

ted in that way by the chief lady of South Hatboro', and struggling to k

some irrelevancies about the weather, which Mrs.

to see the principal ladies of your church, and talk w

she had probably heard nothing at all. After a mom

"The fact is, I wanted to talk it

tening. "Well, I was just goin

n't offer you a seat. But there's nothing bu

tarting her pony. Mrs. Gerrish did n

ed her joke at the

lled at the top of hers. Both the

Wilmington won't mind. She's so delightfully indifferent, it really renders her almost superior; you might forget that she was a village person. But this has been an im

g over-shirt of his business, came out to receive her orders. He stood, passing his hand thr

send me up a leg of lamb

, then," sug

ve way with the air of pacifying a wilful child, whic

s year's lamb-grown to order. Any pea

suppose?" sai

want to call 'em n

bunches of asparag

es?-natives?" s

nse

; natives o

, Mr. Gates," said Mrs. Munger. "

e, and the biggest ones

, I

on Annie. She smiled at last, with permissive recognition, and Gates came forward. "Used to know your father pretty well; but I can't keep up with the young folks any more." He was really not

king, and wondering if this were meeting the lower class

n!" He hacked out another laugh, and stood on the curb-stone look

how do Mr. Peck and Mr. Gerrish get o

I guess. I guess if Mr. Peck was to put in a little more brimstone, the deac

, with a proselyting sigh, "It's a pity you

," said Gates, as Mrs. Munger gathered

and his wife's very devout Orthodox. He's a great character, we think, and he'll treat you ver