Miss Carry's Hat blows off.

169

Louisa Clarke burst out into a louder laugh than any of her preceding ones. Now, if there is one thing more unpleasant than another in a young woman, it is a rude boisterous laugh. There is no sound in the world so pretty as girls' laughter, to my mind; but Miss Clarke's laugh was unrestrained and unmusical in the extreme. Each time she burst out afresh Mr. Morgan shuddered; and it was a relief to him when they were clear of the streets of the town, and on the country road to Chatterton. They did not advance so much of their way, however, without a misadventure. Turning a corner, Miss Carry's smart hat and feather whisked off her head, and blew down the street. She gave a scream of horror, and stood staring in a way to attract the notice of every one. Several rude men and boys stopped and gazed at her, and laughed and made remarks aloud; while her sister Miss. Louisa exclaimed

'Serve you right, Carry! I told you again and again to put a 'lastic on to it; but you are that idle that one may as well speak to a toad.'

Mr. Morgan had run after the hat, which he had some difficulty in recovering, for the wind kept catching it and blowing it, sometimes trundling like a hoop along the dirty pavement, sometimes hopping along the street, with the long feather blowing out straight from it. At length it stopped against the grating of a gutter; and he picked. it up, covered with dirt, and draggled, and, returning on his way, delivered it to Miss Clarke. He was not surprised, but very much disgusted, to find her and her sister

vehemently talking over the performances of the circus with two young men of the town-the son of the butcher, and his cousin, a linendraper's boy. Gertrude Astley stood apart, looking proudly indignant, while the young women and the young men who were very well matched in appearance and manners-joked together, sometimes evidently at Gertrude's expense.

As soon as Mr. Morgan made his appearance, the men moved away, raising their hats in a flirting manner to the Clarkes, who shouted after them some concluding witticism, and then making a most deferential bow to Gertrude, who took no notice of them whatever.

'So, you see, we have had some gentlemen with us, Doctor,' said Miss Carry. 'We haven't been wasting our time in your absence.'

Mr. Morgan felt too much annoyed to give her any answer; but he handed her the hat. It was received with a positive howl of grief; and Miss Carry sobbed out, as soon as she could control herself sufficiently to speak

'It is quite spoilt. Why didn't you catch it sooner? You might just as well- Oh! what shall I do? It's my best 'at, my very best 'at, and cost eight and sixpence, and the feather alone was five shillings. Boo! hoo!'

Mr. Morgan was so ashamed of this exhibition, as it was gradually drawing a crowd of dirty children round the afflicted one, who felt interested, naturally, in seeing a grown-up woman behave as foolishly as one of themselves, that he could only use all his endeavours and persuasions

Mr. Morgan and Gertrude.

171

to get Miss Clarke to move on, the which she consented to do after a time, scolding at and quarrelling with her sister the whole way about having or not having put a 'lastic in her 'at; and crying and sobbing all the time like a great overgrown baby, until her naturally high-coloured face was scarlet, and her features swollen and blistered with tears.

Mr. Morgan was only too thankful when they arrived at the house where the Miss Clarkes lived, and he could leave them at the gate. When they were out of sight, his feelings could no longer be kept down, and he said to Gertrude

'Well, I hope you had reason to be proud of your vulgar friends to-night, Gertrude. I have hitherto imagined that you were a lady; you will not continue like one long, if you are to associate intimately with the Miss Clarkes and their friends.'

Gertrude had, in her heart, felt very much ashamed of her companions; but as soon as Mr. Morgan commenced the subject, her proud spirit took offence at what she considered his interference, and she answered

'The Clarkes are very nice, good-tempered girls, and I like them very much. It is not necessary, because I know them, that I should know butcher-boys and linendrapers. I shall tell them that they are not fit companions for them.'

'Then you will speak without knowing anything about it, Gertrude. Butcher-boys, as you call them, are just their proper companions; for the Clarkes' father was a butcher.'

'How do you know?' asked Gertrude, getting very red. 'I don't believe it,' resumed she, rudely. 'Carry herself told me that her father was a man of consequence, and kept his carriage.'

'So do most butchers, my dear, for carrying about their meat. You seem to be an apt pupil of the Miss Clarkes, I must say, Gertrude, for you are becoming vulgarminded. However, you may believe me or not as you choose. Doctors hear all sorts of things, you know; and I tell you that the Clarkes are not fit associates for your father's daughter.'

Gertrude sulked for a time, then she said—

'I thought you always preached, you good people, that birth is of no consequence so long as people do right; they may be as vulgar as they like.'

Mr. Morgan laughed. 'What a wrong-headed, perverse little maid you are, Gertie! If the Clarkes were quiet, well-behaved, modest girls, I am sure neither your dear mother nor I should find fault with you for associating with them, and neither of us should stop to inquire whether their father had chanced to be a butcher or a baronet. So long as the world continues, Gertrude, there must be distinctions of class; and these distinctions arise and are kept up by the differences of minds and manners. the son or daughter of a butcher is a gentleman or lady in mind and manners, such may join themselves to the class above them without much question; but such young women as the Clarkes can never be in any degree lady

If