He went, with his mother within doors.

Instantly on his entrance the house began to rustle and whisper.
II Mrs.Slater, although an amiable and kind-hearted human being who believed with confident superstition in a God of other people's making, did not, on the whole, welcome her lady friends with much cordiality.

It was not, as she often explained, as though she had her own house into which to ask them.

Her motto was, "Friendly with All, Familiar with None," and to this she very faithfully held.

But in her heart there was reason enough for this caution; there had been days--yes, and nights too--when, during her lamented husband's lifetime, she had "taken a drop," taken it, obviously enough, as a comfort, and a solace when things were going very hard with her, and "'Enery preferrin' 'er to be jolly 'erself to keep 'im company." She had protested, but Fate and Henry had been too strong for her.