ON Tuesday afternoon, word came to us, that the Ladies Leighton had arrived at the Queen's Head Inn, and we at once set off to pay our duty to them, accompanied by Mrs. Thorpe herself, dressed all in her best.
The Queen's Head Inn was the oldest in the town, and had always been considered the best till of late, a new hostelry called the Crown had been built and furnished at a great expense by a company of speculators. This new inn or hotel (as it began to be the fashion to call them), was expected to carry off all the custom of the gentry, by its superior accommodation. But the county families of Northumberland, are like other county families—not at all fond of novelties. The Queen's Head continued to be patronized, and the new house was like to be a losing speculation.
The Queen's Head was a great rambling old pile, with tier upon tier of galleries surrounding a spacious court-yard, in which we recognized the family coach of the Leighton ladies, at least Mrs. Thorpe did, for we knew very little of such matters at that time. We were conducted up stairs and along a gallery, and through a passage, and finally found ourselves in a private sitting-room, furnished in a comfortably dingy fashion, where we found the three ladies.
Mrs. Deborah welcomed us with great kindness, and presented us to her sisters in this fashion.
"Sister Philippa, and Sister Chloe, this is our niece Amabel Leighton, and this is Lucy Corbet, daughter of Mr. Walter Corbet, and Mrs. Rosamond Treverthy, and my brother's adopted child."
Mrs. Chloe, who was evidently much the youngest of the three ladies, welcomed us with great cordiality, kissing us on the cheek, and immediately presented us in exactly the same form to Mrs. Philippa, the other sister.
Mrs. Philippa, who had heretofore appeared unconscious of our existence, now rose in her turn and welcomed us, with a little more stiffness in her manner. All three of the ladies then saluted Mrs. Thorpe, with gracious condescension.
"I hope I see you well, nieces!" said Mrs. Deborah.
"Yes, we hope we see you well, nieces!" echoed Mrs. Chloe. "Sister Philippa, no doubt you hope to see our nieces well."
"I hope I see my niece well!" said Mrs. Philippa, biting off the word niece as if she had a spite at it. "I hope also, that I see the other young lady well, but as she is not our niece, I do not understand why my Sister Deborah should call her so. But I never do pretend to understand my Sister Deborah."