"Oh, yes Miss Mewlstone has a feeling heart," returned Mrs. Cheyne; but she said it in a sarcastic voice. "We have all our special endowments. Miss Mewlstone is made by nature to be a moral feather bed to break other people's awkward tumbles. She hinders broken bones, and interposes a soft surface of sympathy between unlucky folks. There is not much in common between us, but all the same old Barby is a sort of necessity to me. We are a droll household at the White House, Miss Challoner, are we not,--Barby and the greyhounds and I?--oh, quite a happy family!" And she gave a short laugh, very much the reverse of merriment. Phillis began to feel that it was time to go. "Well, how does the dressmaking progress?" asked her hostess, suddenly. "Miss Middleton tells me the Challoner fit is quite the rage in Hadleigh." "We have more orders than we can execute," returned Phillis, curtly. "Humph! that sounds promising. I hope your mother is careful of you, and forbids any expenditure of midnight oil, or you will be reduced to a thread-paper. As I have told you you are not the same girl that you were when you came to the relief of my injured ankle." "I feel tolerably substantial, thank you," returned Phillis, ungraciously, for, in common with other girls, she hated to be pitied for her looks, and she had a notion that Mrs. Cheyne only said this to plague her. "Nan is our head and task mistress. We lead regular lives, have stated hours for work, take plenty of exercise and on the whole, are doing as well as possible." "There speaks the Challoner spirit." "Oh, yes; that never fails us. But now Nan will be waiting for me, and I only called just to inquire after you." "And you did not expect to see me. Well, come again when I am in a better humor for conversation. If you stay longer now I might not be sparing of my sarcasms. By the by, what has become of our young vicar? Tell him he has not converted me yet, and I quite miss his pastoral visits. Do you know," looking so keenly at Phillis that she blushed with annoyance, "a little bird tells me that our pastor has undertaken the supervision of the Friary. Which is it, my dear, that he is trying to convert?" The tone and manner were intolerable to Phillis. "I don't understand you, Mrs. Cheyne," she returned, with superb youthful haughtiness. "Mr. Drummond is a kind neighbor, and so is Miss Mattie. You may keep these insinuations for him, if you will." Then she would have escaped without another glance at her tormentor, but Mrs. Cheyne detained her: "There, never mind. I will take back my naughty speech. It was rude and impertinent of me, I know that. But I like you all the better for your spirit; and, my dear, take care of yourself and your pretty sisters, for he is not worthy of one of you." "Oh, Mrs. Cheyne! for shame!" And Phillis's gray eyes sparkled with lively indignation.