Lady Dighton held out her hand.
"Miss Costello," she said, "you and I are so totally unlike each other, that I am certain we were meant to be friends--will you try ?" The suddenness and oddity of the address struck Lucia dumb.

She gave her hand, however, to her new friend with a smile, and as she did so, her eye caught the reflection of their two figures in a glass opposite.
Truly, they were unlike each other--very opposites--but either because, or in spite of the difference, they seemed to suit each other.
Half an hour spent in calling upon or receiving a call from an entire stranger, is generally a very heavy tax on one's good humour; but occasionally, when the visit is clearly the beginning of a pleasant acquaintance--perhaps a valuable friendship--things are entirely different.

Lady Dighton had come with the intention of making herself agreeable, and few people knew better how to do it; but she found no effort necessary, and time slipped away more quickly than she thought possible.

She stayed, in fact, until she felt quite sure her husband would have been waiting so long as to be growing uneasy, and when she did get up to go away, she begged Mrs.Costello and Lucia to dine with her next day.
"And Maurice," she said, "you must persuade Miss Costello to join us in an excursion somewhere.

It is quite the weather for long drives, and our holiday will not be very long, you know." "I am entirely at your command," Maurice said, "and Lucia must do as she is bid, so pray settle your plans with Mrs.Costello." But Mrs.Costello said decidedly that to dine out for herself was out of the question--she had not done so for years.
"Oh! I am so sorry," Lady Dighton said.