The Discomfiture of Mrs. Trimmings 319 



new cloak — nearly all the visitors had gone, for Eastcliff 

 is not a popular wateringplace— observed the Covertside 

 barouche standing outside the vicarage, and it made her 

 heart beat, because Lady Covertside had intimated that 

 she ^YOuld call on Mrs. Trimmings when next in the town 

 with reference to some private theatricals, to promote 

 the success of which, since it would bring her into 

 communication with ' county people,' she was prepared 

 to spend anything in — or out of — reason. Turning 

 round, therefore, she made the best of her way home — 

 to have been out when Lady Covertside called would 

 have been a terrible blow — and in a few minutes was 

 ascending the hill towards her house. A little boy 

 — impudent young rascal ! — was crossing the green, and 

 that vexed her ; and there was absolutely an intrusive 

 donkey daring to eat what she regarded as her grass ; 

 there, too, just under the shelter of the wall of her house 

 was a lady, seated on a camp stool, reading to a little 

 girl on a smaller stool by her side. The young mother 

 looked up from her book, and bent lovingly over her 

 child as she arranged its jacket ; for though the wall 

 afforded shelter from the keen wind, the weather was 

 bleak, and the child looked somewhat pale and thin. 

 This spectacle roused Mrs. Trimmings's indignation. 

 Mother and child were making themselves at home on 

 her green — at least on the green that she w^ould have 

 liked to be hers — under the very wall of her garden ; the 

 public side of it, truly, but no matter. Perhaps they 

 would make a practice of sitting there. On the whole, 

 Mrs. Trimmings determined to protest. Approaching 

 the younger lady, she said — 



' You must go away from my garden. I cannot have 

 people sitting here ! ' 



