All its defects, old or new--the patches in the panelling, the darkness of the passages--stood out.
And "all along of Eliza!" All because of Miss Fanny Merton! Mrs.Colwood recalled the morning--Miss Merton's late arrival at the breakfast-table, and the discovery from her talk that she was accustomed to breakfast in bed, waited upon by her younger sisters; her conversation at breakfast, partly about the prices of clothes and eatables, partly in boasting reminiscence of her winnings at cards, or in sweepstakes on the "run," on board the steamer.

Diana had then devoted herself to the display of the house, and her maid had helped Miss Merton to unpack.

The process had been diversified by raids made by Miss Fanny on Diana's own wardrobe, which she had inspected from end to end, to an accompaniment of critical remark.

According to her, there was very little that was really "shick" in it, and Diana should change her dressmaker.

The number of her own dresses was large; and as to their colors and make, Mrs.
Colwood, who had helped to put away some of them, could only suppose that tropical surroundings made tropical tastes.