In one case at least, however, she forgot this precaution. The consequence was that the wife of a certain small furniture-broker began to fume once she saw that she was in the presence of the riffraff of the neighbourhood. While she was drinking her second cup of tea her eyes kept roving. As she set it down, she caught sight of Long Tim, but a fortnight out of prison. She rose at once, made her way out fanning herself vigorously, and hurried home boiling over with wrath. The woman was not of a bad sort, only her dignity was hurt.

The hall and gallery were brilliantly lighted, and the room itself looked charming—at least in the eyes of those who had been so long watching the process of its resurrection. Tea was ready before the company began to arrive, and was served by men and women of the tradespeople. The meal went off well, with a good buzz of conversation. The only unpleasant thing was that several of the guests, mindful of their cubs at home, slipped large pieces of cake into their pockets to take to them. But this must not be judged without a just regard to their ways of thinking. It was, in reality, not a tenth part so bad as many of the ways in which well-bred persons appropriate slices of other people’s cakes without once suspecting they are in the same category.

After the dinner, the huge urns and the remnants of food were removed, and the windows opened for a minute to freshen the air. A curtain rose at the end of the room, revealing a small stage decorated with green branches and artificial flowers. A piano had been placed in the center where Hester sat, now seen for the first time, having reserved her strength for her special duty.

When the assembly caught sight of her turning over the leaves of her music, a great silence fell. The moment she began to play, however, all began to talk again. But with the first tone of her voice, they quieted again, for she had chosen a ballad with a sudden and powerful opening, and, further, nervous and a little irritated at the same time with their talking while she played, had begun in a voice that would have compelled attention from a herd of cattle.

But the ballad was a little too long for them, so by the time it was half sung they had resumed talking again and exchanging opinions concerning the song. All agreed that Miss Raymount had a splendid voice. But several, who were there by second-hand invitation, said they could find a woman to beat her easily! I believe most of this group regarded their presence as a favour to her, providing her an audience that she might show off her talents. Among the poor, you see, as in more so-called respectable circles, the most refined and the coarsest-grained natures are to be met side by side.