There was seated at a small table, in a perfectly neat parlour, a quaker, whose benevolent countenance charmed Angelina the moment she entered the room. "Pardon this intrusion," said she. "Friend, thou art welcome," said Dinah Plait, and her looks said so more expressively than her words. An elderly man rose, and leaving the cork-screw in the half-drawn cork of a bottle of cider, he set a chair for Angelina, and withdrew to the window. "Be seated, and eat, for verily thou seemest to be hungry," said Mrs. Plait to Betty Williams, who instantly obeyed, and began to eat like one that had been half famished. "And now, friend, thy business, thy distress--what is it?" said Dinah, turning to Angelina: "so young to have sorrows." "I had best take myself away," said the elderly gentleman, who stood at the window--"I had best take myself away, for miss may not like to speak before me--though she might, for that matter." "Where is the gentleman going?" said Miss Warwick; "I have but one short question to ask, and I have nothing to say that need--" "I dare say, young lady, you can have nothing to say that you need be ashamed of, only people in distress don't like so well to speak before third folks, I _guess_--though, to say the truth, I have never known, by my own experience, what it was to be in much distress since I came into the world--but I hope I am not the more hard-hearted for that--for I can guess, I say, pretty well, how those in distress feel when they come to speak. Do as you would be done by is my maxim till I can find a better--so I take myself away, leaving my better part behind me, if it will be of any service to you, madam." As he passed by Miss Warwick, he dropped his purse into her lap, and he was gone before she could recover from her surprise. "Sir!--madam!" cried she, rising hastily, "here has been some strange mistake--I am not a beggar--I am much, very much obliged to you, but--" "Nay, keep it, friend, keep it," said Dinah Plait, pressing the purse upon Angelina; "John Barker is as rich as a Jew, and as generous as a prince. Keep it, friend, and you'll oblige both him and me--'tis dangerous in this world for one so young and so pretty as you are to be in _great distress_; so be not proud." "I am not proud," said Miss Warwick, drawing her purse from her pocket; "but my distress is not of a pecuniary nature--Convince yourself--I am in distress only for a friend, _an unknown_ friend." "Touched in her brain, I doubt," thought Dinah. "Coot ale!" exclaimed Betty Williams--"Coot heggs and pacon." "Does a lady of the name of Araminta--Miss Hodges, I mean--lodge here?" said Miss Warwick. "Friend, I do not let lodgings; and I know of no such person as Miss Hodges." "Well, I swear hur name, the coachman told me, did begin with a p, and end with a t," cried Betty Williams, "or I would never have let him knock at hur toor."