My father was Mr.Turnbull's partner." "Oh!" said Hesper, not much instructed.

"I thought you had only to give warning." There the matter dropped, and Mary thought no more about it.
"You will let me keep this pattern ?" said Hesper.
"It was made for you," answered Mary.
While Hesper was lazily thinking whether that meant she was to pay for it, Mary made her a pretty obeisance, and bade her good night.

Hesper returned her adieu kindly, but neither shook hands with her nor rang the bell to have her shown out Mary found her own way, however, and presently was breathing the fresh air of the twilight fields on her way home to her piano and her books.
For some time after she was gone, Hesper was entirely occupied with the excogitation of certain harmonies of the toilet that must minister effect to the dress she had now so plainly before her mind's eye; but by and by the dress began to melt away, and like a dissolving view disappeared, leaving in its place the form of "that singular shop-girl." There was nothing striking about her; she made no such sharp impression on the mind as compelled one to think of her again; yet always, when one had been long enough in her company to feel the charm of her individuality, the very quiet of any quiet moment was enough to bring back the sweetness of Mary's twilight presence.

For this girl, who spent her days behind a counter, was one of the spiritual forces at work for the conservation and recovery of the universe.
Not only had Hesper Mortimer never had a friend worthy of the name, but no idea of pure friendship had as yet been generated in her.

Sepia was the nearest to her intimacy: how far friendship could have place between two such I need not inquire; but in her fits of misery Hesper had no other to go to.