SUSAN GRAY. 82

* Mys. Bennet laughed, and, clapping her ou
the shoulder, said, “Thou art a wise girl.”
Then giving me a dish of tea, ** Come, cheer
up, child,” she added; “if you could but look
a little more bright, you need not be ashamed
to shew your face with any one,” adding some-
thing more to the same purpose, but in a man-
ner so different to any thing I had ever seen in
her before, that I was startled, and, I suppose,
looked surprised, for she laughed, and said,
‘“Why, Susan, Mrs. Sarah has made you as
grave and dull as herself. Do you expect to
find every one as precise as that poor body was?
Why, I used to be afraid of every word I said
when I went to iron at Mrs. Neale’s.”

I made no answer, for my heart sunk within
me; but, hastily drinking my tea, I got up,
and said, that I was ready to do any work
which she might have for me in the house.

“QO! sit you down again,” answered she;
“T have nothing for you to do to-night. Now
your old friend Charlotte is with us, we will
have a little gossiping.”

I sat down, as my mistress desired me; but
as she and Charlotte continued to talk in a
very light and improper manner, I remained
silent.

‘* Bless me,” cried Charlotte, “ how grave
Susan looks! why, we have affronted her, |
suppose, by telling her that she will spoil her
beauty by crying.”

‘© No, indeed,” I answered, ‘1 am not af-
frented: but, if you must know the truth, Ido
not quite like the subject of your discourse,