wardrobe.

The house was taken from Michaelmas, and a few days after, the two
little victims, as Bessie laughingly called them, were taken over to
St. Norbert's in the Homestead carriage, Lady Temple chaperoning the
three young ladies to see the inauguration, and the height of
Rachel's glory.

They were received by Mr. Mauleverer at the door, and slightly in the
rear saw the matron, Mrs. Rawlins, a handsome pale woman, younger
than they expected, but whose weeds made Fanny warm to her directly;
but she was shy and retiring, and could not be drawn into
conversation; and her little Alice was only three years old, much
younger than Rachel had expected as a pupil, but a very pretty
creature with great black eyes.

Tea and cake were provided by way of an inauguration feast, and the
three little girls sat up in an atmosphere of good cheer, strongly
suggestive of school feasts, and were left in the midst, with many
promises of being good, a matter that Lovedy seemed to think would be
very easy in this happy place, with no lace to make.

Mrs. Rawlins, whose husband had been a trained schoolmaster, was to
take the children to church, and attend to their religious
instruction; indeed, Mr. Mauleverer was most anxious on this head,
and as Rachel already knew the scruples that withheld him from
ordination were only upon the absolute binding himself to positive
belief in minor technical points, that would never come in the way of
young children.