breath throughthe room, and bearing their delicate exotic witness to the luxury thatreigned in the house. And not they alone. Before each guest's plate asemicircular wreath of flowers stood, seemingly upon the tablecloth; but Lois made the discovery that the stems were safe in water increscent-shaped glass dishes, like little troughs, which the flowerscompletely covered up and hid. Her own special wreath was ofheliotropes. Miss Caruthers had placed her next herself.
There were no gentlemen present, nor expected, Lois observed. It wassimply a company of ladies, met apparently for the purpose of eating; for that business went on for some time with a degree of satisfaction, and a supply of means to afford satisfaction, which Lois had never seenequalled. From one delicate and delicious thing to another she wasrequired to go, until she came to a stop; but that was the case, sheobserved, with no one else of the party.
"You do not drink wine?" asked Miss Caruthers civilly.
"No, thank you."
"Have you scruples?" said the young lady, with a half smile.
Lois assented.
"Why? what's the harm?"
"We all have scruples at Shampuashuh."
"About drinking wine?"
"Or cider, or beer, or anything of the sort."
"Do tell me why."
"It does so much mischief."
"Among low people," said Miss Caruthers, opening her eyes; "but notamong respectable people."
"We are willing to hinder mischief anywhere," said Lois with a smile ofsome fun.
"But what good does your not drinking it do? That will not hinderthem."
"It does hinder them, though," said Lois; "for we will not have liquorshops. And so, we have no crime in the town. We could leave our doorsunlocked, with perfect safety, if it were not for the people that comewandering through from the next towns, where liquor is sold. We have nocrime, and no poverty; or next to none."
"Bless me! what an agreeable state of things! But that need not hinderyour taking a glass of champagne here? Everybody here has no scruple, and there are liquor shops at every corner; there is no use in settingan example."
But Lois declined the wine.
"A cup of coffee then?"
Lois accepted the coffee.
"I think you know my brother?" observed Miss Caruthers then, making herobservations as she spoke.
"Mr. Caruthers? yes; I believe he is your brother."
"I have heard him speak of you. He has seen you at Mrs. Wishart's, Ithink."
"At Mrs. Wishart's – yes."
Lois spoke naturally, yet Miss Caruthers fancied she could discern acertain check to the flow of her words.
"You could not be in a better place for seeing what New York is like, for everybody goes to Mrs. Wishart's; that is, everybody who isanybody."
This did not seem to Lois to require any answer. Her eye went over thelong tableful; went from face to face. Everybody was talking, nearlyeverybody was smiling. Why not? If enjoyment would make them smile, where could more means of enjoyment be heaped up, than at this feast?Yet Lois could not help thinking that the tokens of realpleasure-taking were not unequivocal. She was having a very goodtime; full of amusement; to the others it was an old story. Of whatuse, then?
Miss Caruthers had been engaged in a lively battle of words with someof her young companions; and now her attention came back to Lois, whosemeditative, amused expression struck her.
"I am sure," she said, "you are philosophizing! Let me have the resultsof your observations, do! What do your eyes see, that mine perhaps donot?"
"I cannot tell," said Lois. "Yours ought to know it all."
"But you know, we do not see what we have always seen."
"Then I have an advantage," said Lois pleasantly. "My eyes seesomething very pretty."
"But you were criticizing something. – O you unlucky boy!"
This exclamation, and the change of tone with it, seemed to be calledforth by the entrance of a new comer, even Tom Caruthers himself. Tomwas not in company trim exactly, but with his gloves in his hand andhis overcoat evidently just pulled off. He was surveying the companywith a contented expression; then came forward and began a series ofgreetings round the table; not hurrying them, but pausing here andthere for a little talk.
"Tom!" cried his mother, "is that you?"
"To command. Yes, Mrs. Badger, I am just off the cars. I did not knowwhat I should find here."
"How did you get back so soon, Tom?"
"Had nothing to keep me longer, ma'am. Miss Farrel, I have the honourto remind you of a phillipoena."
There was a shout of laughter. It bewildered Lois, who could notunderstand what they were laughing about, and could as little keep herattention from following Tom's progress round the table. Miss Caruthersobserved this, and was annoyed.
"Careless boy!" she said. "I don't believe he has done the half of whathe had to do, Tom, what brought you home?"
Tom was by this time approaching them.
"Is the question to be understood in a physical or moral sense?" saidhe.
"As you understand it!" said his sister.
Tom disregarded the question, and paid his respects to Miss Lothrop.Julia's jealous eyes saw more than the ordinary gay civility in hisface and manner.
"Tom," she cried, "have you done everything? I don't believe you have."
"Have, though," said Tom. And he offered to Lois a basket of bon-bons.
"Did you see the carpenter?"
"Saw him and gave him his orders."
"Were the dogs well?"
"I wish you had seen them bid me good morning!"
"Did you look at the mare's foot?"
"Yes."
"What is the matter with it?"
"Nothing – a nail – Miss Lothrop, you have no wine."
"Nothing! and a nail!" cried Miss Julia as Lois covered her glass withher hand and forbade the wine. "As if a nail were not enough to ruin ahorse! O you careless boy! Miss Lothrop is more of a philosopher thanyou are. She drinks no wine."
Tom passed on, speaking to other ladies. Lois had scarcely spoken atall; but Miss Caruthers thought she could discern a little stir in thesoft colour of the cheeks and a little additional life in the gravesoft eyes; and she wished Tom heartily at a distance.
At a distance, however, he was no more that day. He made himselfgracefully busy indeed with the rest of his mother's guests; but afterthey quitted the table, he contrived to be at Lois's side, and asked ifshe would not like to see the greenhouse? It was
