The carriage held eight. Elizabeth sat at the farther end, the seat next to her and the seat opposite to her being empty. She kept her head close to the open window, looking out. Railway travelling was rare in her experience. The rest chatted eagerly, giving themselves up to the pleasure of the moment. Something was said about the previous day's sojourn at Guild. "I hear it was a delightful party," Mrs. Lake remarked to Oliver Jupp. "We wanted you and Lake to complete it," he answered. "It was too bad, Mrs. Lake, to declare off, after having promised to go. There was an uncommon nice girl spending the day there. She's to be there again today, I fancy." "Who was that?" inquired Mr. Lake, briskly, who had a propensity for liking "nice girls." "Don't know who she was, or anything about her," replied Oliver. "Your sister called her Lydia, and I did the same." "It was a Miss Clapperton," interrupted Margaret Jupp. "Louisa and Rose were telling me about her this morning; they took an immense fancy to her." "Clapperton?--Clapperton?" repeated Mr. Lake. "Oh, I know; a fresh family who have come lately to Guild. Penelope said she was getting intimate with them. You shall not pick out nice girls for me, Jupp, if you call her one. I saw her once: a young Gorgon in spectacles, with prominent eyes." "That's Nancy Clapperton, the near-sighted one," corrected Mary Jupp, who was one of those ladies who like to put the world to rights. "It was her sister who was there yesterday, and she is a charming girl. Louy and Rose both say so." "I hope she'll be there today, then," said Mr. Lake. "She is to be there; but don't you and Oliver quarrel over her. He monopolized her yesterday, I hear." "We'll go snacks," said Mr. Lake. "Or else draw lots: which shall it be, Jupp? When does the old Indian Begum make her entry?" "For shame, Mr. Lake! You do turn everything and everybody into ridicule," exclaimed Margaret. "I'm sure I think she will be a delightful acquisition; so pleasant for your sister to have a visitor." "Well, when does she come? Nobody says she won't be an acquisition--for those who can stand Begums. I knew one once, and she was awful. She had gold teeth." Margaret Jupp turned to Clara. "Why don't you keep your husband in better order? He is incorrigible." "I fear he is," was the answer, given with a gay smile. "Very strange!" cried Mr. Lake. "I can't get an answer to my question: I think it's somebody else that's incorrigible. When--does--the--Begum--arrive? I hope that's plain enough." "Mrs. Chester was talking of her yesterday to me," interposed Oliver Jupp. "The Begum is expected to make her entrance on Wednesday or Thursday." "When the house shall have been cleared of us sinful people," added Mr. Lake. "We are not good enough for an Indian Begum. What do you know of this one?"