Cashel Byron's Profession

"After all," she said, seating herself on a chair that was even more

luxurious to rest in than to look at; "putting the lace out of the

question--and my old lace that belongs to mamma is quite as

valuable--her whole dress cannot have cost much more than mine. At

any rate, it is not worth much more, whatever she may have chosen to

pay for it."

But Alice was clever enough to envy Miss Carew her manners more than

her dress. She would not admit to herself that she was not

thoroughly a lady; but she felt that Lydia, in the eye of a

stranger, would answer that description better than she. Still, as

far as she had observed, Miss Carew was exceedingly cool in her

proceedings, and did not take any pains to please those with whom

she conversed. Alice had often made compacts of friendship with

young ladies, and had invited them to call her by her Christian

name; but on such occasions she had always called themn "dear" or

"darling," and, while the friendship lasted (which was often longer

than a month, for Alice was a steadfast girl), had never met them

without exchanging an embrace and a hearty kiss.

"And nothing," she said, springing from the chair as she thought of

this, and speaking very resolutely, "shall tempt me to believe that

there is anything vulgar in sincere affection. I shall be on my

guard against this woman."

Having settled that matter for the present, she resumed her

examination of the apartment, and was more and more attracted by it

as she proceeded. For, thanks to her eminence as a local beauty, she

had not that fear of beautiful and rich things which renders abject

people incapable of associating costliness with comfort. Had the

counterpane of the bed been her own, she would have unhesitatingly

converted it into a ball-dress. There were toilet appliances of

which she had never felt the need, and could only guess the use. She

looked with despair into the two large closets, thinking how poor a

show her three dresses, her ulster, and her few old jackets would

make there. There was also a dressing-room with a marble bath that

made cleanliness a luxury instead of one of the sternest of the

virtues, as it seemed at home. Yet she remarked that though every

object was more or less ornamental, nothing had been placed in the

rooms for the sake of ornament alone. Miss Carew, judged by her

domestic arrangements, was a utilitarian before everything. There

was a very handsome chimney piece; but as there was nothing on the

mantel board, Alice made a faint effort to believe that it was

inferior in point of taste to that in her own bedroom, which was

covered with blue cloth, surrounded by fringe and brass headed

nails, and laden with photographs in plush frames.