Margaret accordingly went up and down to butchers and grocers, seeking for a nonpareil of a girl; and lowering her hopes and expectations every week, as she found the difficulty of meeting with any one in a manufacturing town who did not prefer the better wages and greater independence of working in a mill. It was something of a trial to Margaret to go out by herself in this busy bustling place. Mrs. Shaw's ideas of propriety and her own helpless dependence on others, had always made her insist that a footman should accompany Edith and Margaret, if they went beyond Harley Street or the immediate neighbourhood. The limits by which this rule of her aunt's had circumscribed Margaret's independence had been silently rebelled against at the time: and she had doubly enjoyed the free walks and rambles of her forest life from the contrast which they presented. She went along there with a boundless fearless step, that occasionally broke out into a run, if she were in a hurry, and occasionally was stilled into perfect repose, as she stood listening to, or watching any of the wild creatures who sang in the leafy courts, or glanced out with their keen bright eyes from the low brushwood or tangled furze. It was a trial to come down from such motion or such stillness, only guided by her own sweet will, to the even and decorous pace necessary in streets. But she could have laughed at herself for minding this change, if it had not been accompanied by what was a more serious annoyance.

So Margaret went to butchers and grocers, seeking for a suitable girl; and lowered her hopes every week, with the difficulty of finding anyone who did not prefer the better wages and greater independence of working in a mill. It was something of a trial to Margaret to go out by herself in this busy bustling place. Mrs. Shaw had always insisted that a footman should accompany her, if she went beyond Harley Street, and Margaret had silently rebelled: she had doubly enjoyed the free rambles of her forest life, from the contrast. There, she walked with a bounding fearless step, and occasionally broke out into a run, or halted, listening to and watching the wild creatures who sang in the leafy courts, or glanced out with keen eyes from the low brushwood or tangled furze. It was a trial to come down from this to the decorous pace necessary in the streets.
But there was a more serious annoyance. 