might think, Mrs. Presty crossed the room and introduced herself.

"Miss Westerfield, I am Mrs. Linley's mother. And I am, in one
respect, a remarkable person. When I form an opinion and find
it's the opinion of a fool, I am not in the least ashamed to
change my mind. I have changed my mind about you. Shake hands."

Sydney respectfully obeyed.

"Sit down again." Sydney returned to her chair.

"I had the worst possible opinion of you," Mrs. Presty resumed,
"before I had the pleasure of listening on the other side of the
curtain. It has been my good fortune--what's your Christian name?
Did I hear it? or have I forgotten it? 'Sydney,' eh? Very well. I
was about to say, Sydney, that it has been my good fortune to be
intimately associated, in early life, with two remarkable
characters. Husbands of mine, in short, whose influence over me
has, I am proud to say, set death and burial at defiance. Between
them they have made my mind the mind of a man. I judge for
myself. The opinions of others (when they don't happen to agree
with mine) I regard as chaff to be scattered to the winds. No,
Catherine, I am not wandering. I am pointing out to a young
person, who has her way to make in the world, the vast
importance, on certain occasions, of possessing an independent
mind. If I had been ashamed to listen behind those curtains,
there is no injury that my stupid prejudices might not have
inflicted on this unfortunate girl. As it is, I have heard her
story, and I do her justice. Count on me, Sydney, as your friend,
and now get up again. My grandchild (never accustomed to wait for