"But it would not go through the stitches of mine," said Rotha looking up. "It would tear every time." "How in the world did you come to have such ridiculous stockings? Such stockings are expensive. I do not indulge myself with them; and I might, better than your mother." "Poor people always think they must have things fine, I suppose," said Antoinette. "I wonder what sort of shoes she has, to go with the stockings?" The blood flushed to Rotha's face; and irritation pricked her to retort sharply; yet she did not wish to speak Mr. Digby's name again. She hesitated. "Whose nonsense was that?" asked Mrs. Busby; "yours, or your mother's? I never heard anything equal to it in my life. I dare say they are Balbriggans. I should not be at all surprised!" "I do not know what they are," said Rotha, striving to hold in her wrath, "but they are not my mother's nonsense, nor mine." "Whose then?" said Mrs. Busby sharply. Rotha hesitated. "Mrs. Mowbray's!" cried Antoinette. "It is Mrs. Mowbray again! Mamma, I should think you would feel yourself insulted. Mrs. Mowbray is ridiculous! As if you could not get proper stockings for Rotha, but she must put her hand in." "I think it is very indelicate of Mrs. Mowbray; and Rotha is welcome to tell her I say so," Mrs. Busby uttered with some discomposure. Rotha's discomposure on the other hand cooled, and a sense of amusement got up. It is funny, to see people running hard after the wrong quarry; when they have no business to be running at all. However, she must speak now. "It is not Mrs. Mowbray's nonsense either," she said. "Mr. Southwode got them for me." "Mr. Southwode!"--Mrs. Busby spoke out those two words, and the rest of her mind she kept to herself. "Mamma," said Antoinette, "Mr. Southwode is as great a goose as other folks. But then, gentlemen don't know things--how should they?" "You are a goose yourself, Antoinette," said her mother. "Have you no cotton a little finer? I mean a good deal finer?" said Rotha, going back to the business question. "There are no stockings in my house to need it." "Then what shall I do? There are two or three little holes in the toes." "I will tell you. I will get you some stockings fit for you; and you may bring those to me. I will take care of them till you want them, which will not be for a long time."