When she knocked at Mrs.Grail's door on some paltry excuse for seeing the inside of the room, and found that the old lady exchanged brief words with her on the threshold, she wondered who these people might be who thought themselves too good for wonted neighbourship.

In time, however, her feeling changed, and she gave everybody to understand that her ground-floor lodgers were of the highest respectability, inmates such as did not fall to the lot of every landlady.
Gilbert was surprised when, of her own motion, his mother made overtures to the sisters who lived at the top of the house.

Neither Lydia nor Thyrza was at first disposed to respond very warmly; they agreed that the old lady was doubtless very respectable, but, at the same time, decidedly queer in her way of speaking.

But during the past few months they had overcome this reluctance, and were now on a certain footing of intimacy with Mrs.Grail, who made it no secret that she took great interest in Thyrza.

Thyrza always entered the sitting-room with a feeling of awe.