"Yes, with Miss Todd. It is not one of her regular nights, you know, and her set won't be there. She has some old friends with her,--a Mr Wilkinson, a clergyman, and his wife. It seems that her old enemy and your devoted slave, Mr Maguire, knows Mr Wilkinson, and he's going to be there." "Mr Maguire is no slave of mine, Miss Baker." "I thought he was; at any rate his presence will be a guarantee that Miss Todd will be on her best behaviour, and that you needn't be afraid." "I'm not afraid of anything of that sort." "But will you go?" "Oh, yes, if you are going." "That's right; and I'll call for you as I pass by. I must see her now, and tell her. Good-morning, Sir;" whereupon Miss Baker bowed very stiffly to Mr Rubb. "Good-morning, Ma'am," said Mr Rubb, bowing very stiffly to Miss Baker. When the lady was gone, Mr Rubb sat himself again down on the sofa, and there he remained for the next half-hour. He talked about the business of the firm, saying how it would now certainly be improved; and he talked about Tom Mackenzie's family, saying what a grand thing it was for Susanna to be thus taken in hand by her aunt; and he asked a question or two about Miss Baker, and then a question or two about Mr Maguire, during which questions he learned that Mr Maguire was not as yet a married man; and from Mr Maguire he got on to the Stumfolds, and learned somewhat of the rites and ceremonies of the Stumfoldian faith. In this way he prolonged his visit till Miss Mackenzie began to feel that he ought to take his leave. Miss Baker had gone at once to Miss Todd, and had told that lady that Miss Mackenzie would join her tea-party. She had also told how Mr Rubb, of the firm of Rubb and Mackenzie, was at this moment in Miss Mackenzie's drawing-room. "I'll ask him to come, too," said Miss Todd. Then Miss Baker had hesitated, and had looked grave. "What's the matter?" said Miss Todd. "I'm not quite sure you'll like him," said Miss Baker. "Probably not," said Miss Todd; "I don't like half the people I meet, but that's no reason I shouldn't ask him." "But he is--that is, he is not exactly--" "What is he, and what is he not, exactly?" asked Miss Todd. "Why, he is a tradesman, you know," said Miss Baker. "There's no harm that I know of in that," said Miss Todd. "My uncle that left me my money was a tradesman." "No," said Miss Baker, energetically; "he was a merchant in Liverpool." "You'll find it very hard to define the difference, my dear," said Miss Todd. "At any rate I'll ask the man to come;--that is, if it won't offend you." "It won't in the least offend me," said Miss Baker. So a note was at once written and sent in to Miss Mackenzie, in which she was asked to bring Mr Rubb with her on that evening. When the note reached Miss Mackenzie, Mr Rubb was still with her.