"Mamma has told us about your singular good fortune," began the eldest young lady, "and desired us to show our respect for Mrs. Grey by calling on you." Instantly hurt by this intentional sting, Margaret was tempted to reply in like manner. But she controlled herself, and said, stiffly: "My aunt's friends are welcome, of course." "Oh, is she your aunt, after all?" cried Miss Flora. "We supposed you were not related to her in any way." "Nor am I," replied Margaret; and condescended to no explanations. "It was a curious freak of Mrs. Grey, taking you up so, was it not?" inquired Miss Mary in a most innocent tone. "How surprised you must have been! How strange it must seem to be suddenly introduced to such new scenes! Do excuse our curiosity, we would not do anything ill-bred for the world; but how did you contrive to ingratiate yourself so with her?" "By no contrivance whatever; I scorn contrivance!" "Oh, I did not mean to offend you." "I am not offended." "Well, touched, then. Not one of us would intentionally say anything ill-bred. Mamma has trained us _so_ carefully! We have just returned from Europe, where we spent nearly three years. It is very improving. You ought to coax Mrs. Grey to take you abroad. You have no idea how refining it is to see works of art, and to mix with cultivated people." "I never coax," was the reply. "_Comme elle est fière!_" said one sister to another. "_Et assez jaune!_" said the other. "Proud and yellow," repeated Margaret, "but unfortunately not deaf or dumb." "Goodness! Who could fancy you understood French! What an unlucky blunder we have made." "Our respect for Mrs. Grey--" "Rules of good-breeding--" "Difficult position--" cried the sisters in chorus, each warbling a different tune, and each pretty thoroughly mortified and embarrassed. There was nothing left for it but to take leave. "What a disagreeable scrape that girl has got us into!" said Miss Grosgrain, as soon as they were safe in their carriage. "Well, it's rather hard, I must say," complained another, "to have to demean one's-self to visit a creature about whose antecedents one knows nothing. Where can she have picked up French, I wonder?" "Very likely from some fellow-servant, some nursery-governess, where she has lived," cried Miss Mary. "Now, Mary Grosgrain, you don't mean that she has been anybody's servant?" "Well, I do not say that, positively, but I know Mrs. Grey picked her up in a tenement-house. Fancy our visiting an inmate of a tenement-house!" "How tall she is!" "And how she was dressed! Not a ring or a bracelet, or a bow or a puff. But of course Mrs. Grey has to keep her down." "I saw a great smooch of paint on her sleeve," said Miss Mary. "She hasn't a particle of style," said Miss Flora. "Of course not; how should she? She has not had our advantages." "I heard that she was a splendid-looking girl," said Miss Grosgrain. "From whom?" "Fred Rogers." "Pooh! Fred Rogers!"