"Your large circle of friends, that you won during your long visit here two or three years ago, will be delighted to hear of this."
Mary Grey bowed gracefully and said:
"The pleasure, she believed, would, like the advantage, be mostly on her own side."
Then she inquired of the rector—with an apology for troubling him with her own humble affairs—whether he could recommend her to any private boarding-house among the members of his own church, where the family were really earnest Christians.
The rector could not think of any suitable place just then, but he begged to have the pleasure of introducing Mrs. Grey to his wife, who, he said, would most likely be able to advise her.
And he rang the bell and sent a message to Mrs. ——, who presently entered the study.
The introduction took place, and the rector's wife received the visitor as cordially as the rector had.
She knew of no boarding-house of the description required by Mrs. Grey, but she promised to inquire among her friends and let that lady know the result.
Soon after this Mrs. Grey took leave.
Many of her former friends were, at this season of the year, out of town, as she felt sure; but some among them would probably be at home.