The three girls came in dressed for church, in the plainest
brown hats, black capes, and drab alpaca frocks, rather long and not
very full; not a coloured bow nor handkerchief, not a flounce nor
fringe, to relieve them; even their books plain brown. Bessie looked
wistfully at Miss Fosbrook's pretty Church-service, and said she and
Susan both had beautiful Prayer-Books, but Mamma said they could not
be trusted with them yet--Ida Greville had such a beauty.
Was it the effect of Miss Fosbrook's words, that Sam forbore to teaze
Bessie about Ida Greville?--whose name was a very dangerous subject
in the schoolroom. Also, he let Bessie take hold of Miss Fosbrook's
hand in peace, though in general the least token of affection was
scouted by the whole party.
It was a pretty walk to church, over a paddock, where the cows were
turned out, and then along a green lane; and the boys had been
trained enough in Sunday habits to make them steady and quiet on the
way, especially as Henry was romancing about the pig.
By and by Elizabeth gave Miss Fosbrook's hand a sudden pull; and she
perceived, in the village street into which they were emerging, a
party on the way to church.
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