style="font-size:15px;"> I believe, he said to himself, I had better not see the little witchagain.
Meanwhile he was not going to have much opportunity. Mrs. Wishart camehome a little while after Philip had gone. Lois was stitching by thelast fading light.
"Do stop, my dear! you will put your eyes out. Stop, and let us havetea. Has anybody been here?"
"Mr. Dillwyn came. He went away hardly a quarter of an hour ago."
"Mr. Dillwyn! Sorry I missed him. But he will come again. I met Tom
Caruthers; he is mourning about this going with his mother to Florida."
"What are they going for?" asked Lois.
"To escape the March winds, he says."
"Who? Mr. Caruthers? He does not look delicate."
Mrs. Wishart laughed. "Not very! And his mother don't either, does she?But, my dear, people are weak in different spots; it isn't always intheir lungs."
"Are there no March winds in Florida?"
"Not where they are going. It is all sunshine and oranges – and orangeblossoms. But Tom is not delighted with the prospect. What do you thinkof that young man?"
"He is a very handsome man."
"Is he not? But I did not mean that. Of course you have eyes. I want toknow whether you have judgment."
"I have not seen much of Mr. Caruthers to judge by."
"No. Take what you have seen and make the most of it."
"I don't think I have judgment," said Lois. "About people, I mean, andmen especially. I am not accustomed to New York people, besides."
"Are they different from Shampuashuh people?"
"O, very."
"How?"
"Miss Caruthers asked me the same thing," said Lois, smiling. "Isuppose at bottom all people are alike; indeed, I know they are. But inthe country I think they show out more."
"Less disguise about them?"
"I think so."
"My dear, are we such a set of masqueraders in your eyes?"
"No," said Lois; "I did not mean that."
"What do you think of Philip Dillwyn? Comare him with young Caruthers."
"I cannot," said Lois. "Mr. Dillwyn strikes me as a man who knowseverything there is in all the world."
"And Tom, you think, does not?"
"Not so much," said, Lois hesitating; "at least he does not impress meso."
"You are more impressed with Mr. Dillwyn?"
"In what way?" said Lois simply. "I am impressed with the sense of myown ignorance. I should be oppressed by it, if it was my fault."
"Now you speak like a sensible girl, as you are. Lois, men do not careabout women knowing much."
"Sensible men must."
"They are precisely the ones who do not. It is odd enough, but it is afact. But go on; which of these two do you like best?"
"I have seen most of Mr. Caruthers, you know. But, Mrs. Wishart, sensible men must like sense in other people."
"Yes, my dear; they do; unless when they want to marry the people; andthen their choice very often lights upon a fool. I have seen it overand over and over again; the clever one of a family is passed by, and asilly sister is the one chosen."
"Why?"
"A pink and white skin, or a pair of black eyebrows, or perhaps somesoft blue eyes."
"But people cannot live upon a pair of black eyebrows," said Lois.
"They find that out afterwards."
"Mr. Dillwyn talks as if he liked sense," said Lois. "I mean, he talksabout sensible things."
"Do you mean that Tom don't, my dear?"
A slight colour rose on the cheek Mrs. Wishart was looking at; and Loissaid somewhat hastily that she was not comparing.
"I shall try to find out what Tom talks to you about, when he comesback from Florida. I shall scold him if he indulges in nonsense."
"It will be neither sense nor nonsense. I shall be gone long beforethen."
"Gone whither?"
"Home – to Shampuashuh. I have been wanting to speak to you about it,
Mrs. Wishart. I must go in a very few days."
"Nonsense! I shall not let you. I cannot get along without you. Theydon't want you at home, Lois."
"The garden does. And the dairy work will be more now in a week or two; there will be more milk to take care of, and Madge will want help."
"Dairy work! Lois, you must not do dairy work. You will spoil yourhands."
Lois laughed. "Somebody's hands must do it. But Madge takes care of thedairy. My hands see to the garden."
"Is it necessary?"
"Why, yes, certainly, if we would have butter or vegetables; and youwould not counsel us to do without them. The two make half the livingof the family."
"And you really cannot afford a servant?"
"No, nor want one," said Lois. "There are three of us, and so we getalong nicely."
"Apropos; – My dear, I am sorry that it is so, but must is must. What Iwanted to say to you is, that it is not necessary to tell all this toother people."
Lois looked up, surprised. "I have told no one but you, Mrs. Wishart. Oyes! I did speak to Mr. Dillwyn about it, I believe."
"Yes. Well, there is no occasion, my dear. It is just as well not."
"Is it better not? What is the harm? Everybody at Shampuashuh knowsit."
"Nobody knows it here; and there is no reason why they should. I meantto tell you this before."
"I think I have told nobody but Mr. Dillwyn."
"He is safe. I only speak for the future, my dear."
"I don't understand yet," said Lois, half laughing. "Mrs. Wishart, weare not ashamed of it."
"Certainly not, my dear; you have no occasion."
"Then why should we be ashamed of it?" Lois persisted.
"My dear, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Do not think I mean that.
Only, people here would not understand it."
"How could they _mis_understand it?"
"You
