Mrs. Meridith's entrance now interrupted the conversation, and Anna's new friend departed with an increased opinion of her understanding, notwithstanding she had heard Miss Hunt's account of her birth confirmed.
The late conversation dwelt much upon Anna's mind; but (whether from pride or delicacy she could not determine) she did not mention it to Mrs. Meridith; but the next time she was alone with her uncle, she repeated it to him.
"Well, my dear, I am glad of it," said he, "it will serve to keep the balance even; don't you remember Nancy Ward's remarks on the same occasion? They were of service to you; and these are only the same in higher life, and, perhaps, in more refined language. Depend upon it, it is a good thing to be made to remember ourselves sometimes; and I doubt not, though you could not see you needed it, and thought you kept yourself in your proper place, such helps as these were necessary when vanity had got all her forces about you."
"I did not think I was growing vain at all," said Anna, thoughtfully.
"Not when Mr. Such-an-one asked you to dance," replied he, "and you saw that Miss Hunt had selected him for a partner; and when several other ladies were solicitous for the honour of his hand."
"Dear uncle," replied Anna, half smiling, and half blushing, "when did you see this? surely you don't come to the balls."
"No, indeed," said he, returning her smile, "but I know such things as these; has it not been the case in my younger days, when at some wake, or fair, the two rival village girls have played the same part? Oh! believe me, the world is all alike, and what is acted at court, or in the higher circles, has its counterpart in this country town; and a second or third edition is brought forth in a still humbler set."
Anna smiled, and said, "I do not doubt it, my dear uncle; but tell me, was my father an illiterate man? had he at all the appearance of a gentleman? and was he not handsome?"
"These two last questions would not have been asked," returned her uncle, "if you had not been at L—; but I will reply to them as well as I am able. In the first place, he was not uneducated; he seemed to know many authors, and was not unacquainted with public and historical events; but he was wonderfully conceited: he called himself a gentleman to your poor mother, though we could never hear of any noble family he was allied to; and it was his handsome person and smart appearance, when in this very town she met with him, twenty years ago, that first engaged her affections."
"And what was his employment here?" asked Anna, who at this time could scarcely bear her uncle's playful manner.