easy swing; head well up and shoulders squared. 'Oh, how I _hope_
she isn't vulgar!' said Emmeline to herself. 'I don't like the
bat--I don't. And that sunshade with the immense handle.' From the
top of the stairs she heard a clear, unaffected voice: 'Mrs. Mumford
at home?' Yes, the aspirate _was_ sounded--thank goodness!

It surprised her, on entering the room, to find that Miss Derrick
looked no less nervous than she was herself. The girl's cheeks were
flushed, and she half choked over her 'How do you do?'

'I hope you had no difficulty in finding the house. I would have met
you at the station if you had mentioned the train. Oh, but--how
silly!--I shouldn't have known you.'

Miss Derrick laughed, and seemed of a sudden much more at ease.

'Oh, I like you for that!' she exclaimed mirthfully. 'It's just the
kind of thing I say myself sometimes. And I'm so glad to see that
you are--you mustn't be offended--I mean you're not the kind of
person to be afraid of.'

They laughed together. Emmeline could not subdue her delight when
she found that the girl really might be accepted as a lady. There
were faults of costume undeniably; money had been misspent in
several directions; but no glaring vulgarity hurt the eye. And her
speech, though not strictly speaking refined, was free from the
faults that betray low origin. Then, she seemed good-natured though
there was something about her mouth not altogether charming.

'Do you know Sutton at all?' Emmeline inquired.