I say, Alice, you must be careful about your spelling; there were mistakes in your last letter.

Won't do, you know, to make mistakes if you write to Adela.' Alice gave a little shrug of impatience.

Immediately after, they stopped at the threshold sacred to all genteel accomplishments--so Alice would have phrased it if she could have fully expressed her feeling--and they speedily entered the sitting-room, where the table was already laid for tea.

Mrs.Waltham and her daughter rose to welcome them.
'We knew of your arrival,' said the former, bestowing on Alice a maternal salute.

'Not many things happen in Wanley that all the village doesn't hear of, do they, Mr.Mutimer?
Of course we expected you to tea.' Adela and her future sister-in-law kissed each other.