"Hush, mamma!" exclaimed the girl, turning sharply, but without checking the voice, whose owner--a very round, pleasant-looking little matron-- came forward, with a piece of black silk in one hand, a sponge in the other, and bringing with her a peculiar smell of hot irons lately applied to the material she held. "Well, my dear," she said, volubly, "how was I to know that it was company? Oh! good-morning, sir." "Good-morning," said Geoffrey, who was pleasantly impressed by the mother and daughter, who now led the way into a comfortable old-fashioned parlour, whose window looked direct upon the foam-fringed promontory on which stood the ruined mine. "A Mr Paul, whom I have just left, advised me to see you about your apartments." "Oh! yes," said the elder lady, smoothing herself down in front, as if trying to free herself from a little exuberance--the younger lady having now got rid of brush, book, and apron, and given a furtive touch to her pretty hair. "You are Mr Lee, our new clergyman," she continued volubly, "and--" "Indeed I am not!" said Geoffrey, laughing, and glancing at the younger lady, who blushed, and gave her head a conscious toss. "But I sent word to the hotel that I should be glad to take him in," said the elder lady; "and now that's just the way with that Aunt Borlase. Madge, dear, they never got the message." "Is this one of the rooms?" said Geoffrey, to stem the flood of eloquence. "Yes, sir; and Mr Paul, who is my late husband's half-brother, has the other front parlour, which we sometimes share with him when he is in a good temper. When he isn't, my daughter and I--this is my daughter, sir--sit in the--" "Oh, mamma, hush!" exclaimed the younger lady, acknowledging Geoffrey's bow. "Well, my dear, it's the simple truth," said mamma. "I hope you don't object to the smell of black silk being ironed, sir?" "Oh, dear, no," said Geoffrey, smiling. "It's the being sponged over with beer first," continued the little woman. "It makes it so stiff, and when it's done it looks almost as good as new." "But, mamma," remonstrated the younger lady. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, my dear. Quite superior people turn their black silks, and have them re-made over and over again. There really is no cheaper wear than a good black silk." "But about the apartments," said Geoffrey, to the younger lady's great relief. "Oh! yes; of course. To be sure," continued the little lady. "I let the bedchambers over the rooms, sir. One to each." "Exactly," said Geoffrey, who was much amused at the simplicity of the elder lady, and the assumption of gentility on the part of the younger; "but do I understand you to say that the apartments are engaged?"