Caroline and Shirley were soon in the midst of the company. The former met them very easily for her. Instead of sitting down in a retired corner, or stealing away to her own room till the procession should be marshalled, according to her wont, she moved through the three parlours, conversed and smiled, absolutely spoke once or twice ere she was spoken to, and, in short, seemed a new creature. It was Shirley's presence which thus transformed her; the view of Miss Keeldar's air and manner did her a world of good. Shirley had no fear of her kind, no tendency to shrink from, to avoid it. All human beings--men, women, or children--whom low breeding or coarse presumption did not render positively offensive, were welcome enough to her--some much more so than others, of course; but, generally speaking, till a man had indisputably proved himself bad and a nuisance, Shirley was willing to think him good and an acquisition, and to treat him accordingly. This disposition made her a general favourite, for it robbed her very raillery of its sting, and gave her serious or smiling conversation a happy charm; nor did it diminish the value of her intimate friendship, which was a distinct thing from this social benevolence--depending, indeed, on quite a different part of her character. Miss Helstone was the choice of her affection and intellect; the Misses Pearson, Sykes, Wynne, etc., etc., only the profiteers by her good-nature and vivacity.

Caroline and Shirley were soon in the midst of the company. Caroline coped very easily for her. Instead of sitting down in a retired corner, or stealing away to her own room, she moved through the three parlours, conversed and smiled, even spoke once or twice before she was spoken to, and, in short, seemed a new creature. It was Shirley's presence which thus transformed her. Shirley had no fear of humanity, no tendency to shrink from it, and since she thought well of all people until they might prove otherwise, she was a general favourite.
