A few days after Thomas Bradly's visit to the vicarage, Mrs Maltby and
her daughter left home for the seaside. In the evening of the day of
their departure, something different from the ordinary routine was
evidently going on at Thomas Bradly's. As it drew near to half-past six
o'clock, four young women, neatly dressed, might be seen making their
way towards his house. These were shortly joined by three others; and
then followed some more young women and elderly girls, till at length
thirteen were gathered together in the road, whispering and laughing to
one another, and evidently somewhat in a state of perplexity.
"What's it all about, Mary Anne?" asked a bright-looking girl of fifteen
of one of the oldest of the group.
"I'm sure I don't know," was the reply; "all I know for certain is, that
I've been invited to tea at Thomas's, at half-past six this evening."
"So have I"--"So have I," said the rest.
"There's no mistake or hoax about it, I hope?" asked one of the younger
girls anxiously.
"Nay," said the one addressed as Mary Anne, "Thomas asked us himself,
and he's not the man to hoax anybody."
Just at this moment the front door opened, and Bradly himself, full of
smiling welcome, called upon his guests to come in.
A comfortable meal had been prepared for them in the spacious kitchen,
and all were soon busily engaged in partaking of the tea and its
accompaniments, and in brisk and cheerful conversation; but not a word
was said to explain why they had been invited at this particular time.
Their host joined heartily in the various little discussions which were
being carried on in a lively way by his guests, but never, during the
tea, dropped a hint as to, why he had asked them.
At last, when teapots and cups had disappeared, leaving a clear table,
and the young women, after grace had been duly sung, sat opposite to one
another with a look of amused expectation as to what might be coming
next, Thomas rose deliberately from his arm-chair, which he had drawn to
the head of the table, and looking round on the young people with a
half-serious, half-humorous expression, said: "Well, I suppose, girls,
it may be as well if I tell you what I've asked you here for this
evening."