heir
travelling energies ready girt about them, and easily adopt any plan which
promises pleasure. The following day was fixed for the start, and Clover
packed her valise and Phil's bag, with a sense of exhilaration and escape.
She was, in truth, getting very tired of the exactions of Mrs. Watson.
Mrs. Watson, on her part, did not at all approve of the excursion.

"I think," she said, swelling with offended dignity, "that your cousin
didn't know much about politeness when he left me out of his invitation
and asked Mrs. Hope instead. Yes, I know; the doctor had to go up anyway.
That may be true, and it may not; but it doesn't alter the case. What am I
to do, I should like to know, if the valves of my heart don't open, or
don't shut--whichever it is--while I'm left all alone here among
strangers?"

"Send for Dr. Hope," suggested Phil. "He'll only be gone one night. Clover
doesn't know anything about valves."

"My cousin lives in a rather rough way, I imagine," interposed Clover,
with a reproving look at Phil. "He would hardly like to ask a stranger and
an invalid to his house, when he might not be able to make her
comfortable. Mrs. Hope has been there before, and she's an old friend."

"Oh, I dare say! There are always reasons. I don't say that I should have
felt like going, but he ought to have asked me. Ellen will be surprised,
and so will--He's from Ashburn too, and he must know the Parmenters, and
Mrs. Parmenter's brother's son is partner to Henry's brother-in-law. It's
of no consequence, of course,--still, respect--older people--Boston--not
used to--Phillips--" Mrs. Watson's voice died away into fragmentary and
inaudible lamentings.

Clover attempted no further excuse. Her good sense told her that she had a
perfect right to accept this little pleasure; that Mrs. Watson's plans for
Western travel had been formed quite independently of their own, and that
papa would not wish her to sacrifice herself and Phil to such unreasonable
humors. Still, it was not pleasant; and I am sorry to say that from this
time dated a change of feeling on Mrs. Watson's part toward her "young
friends." She took up a chronic position of grievance toward them,
confided her wrongs to all new-comers, and met Clover with an offended air
which, though Clover ignored it, did not add to the happiness of her life
at Mrs. Marsh's.

It was early in the afternoon when they started, and the sun was just
dipping behind the mountain wall when they dr