he girls. Being
accustomed to ground and lofty tumbling, he quickly recovered himself,
and hopped gaily about, with one leg through the stool as he improvised
a classic jig.

'Thanks for four nice little pictures. You have given me an idea, and I
think some time we will get up regular tableaux of this sort and march
our company round a set of dissolving views. New and striking; I'll
propose it to our manager and give you all the glory,' said Mrs Jo, as
they strolled towards the room whence came the clash of glass and china,
and glimpses of agitated black coats.

Let us follow the example of our old friends and stroll about among the
young people, eavesdropping, so gathering up various little threads to
help in the weaving of the story. George and Dolly were at supper,
and having served the ladies in their care stood in a corner absorbing
nourishment of all kinds with a vain attempt to conceal hearty appetites
under an air of elegant indifference.

'Good spread, this; Laurence does things in style. First-rate coffee,
but no wine, and that's a mistake,' said Stuffy, who still deserved his
name, and was a stout youth with a heavy eye and bilious complexion.

'Bad for boys, he says. Jove! wish he could see us at some of our wines.
Don't we just "splice the main brace" as Emil says,' answered Dolly,
the dandy, carefully spreading a napkin over the glossy expanse of
shirt-front whereon a diamond stud shone like a lone star. His stutter
was nearly outgrown; but he, as well as George, spoke in the tone of
condescension, which, with the blase airs they assumed, made a very
funny contrast to their youthful faces and foolish remarks. Good-hearted
little fellows both, but top-heavy with the pride of being Sophs and the
freedom that college life gave them.

'Little Jo is getting to be a deuced pretty girl, isn't she?' said
George, with a long sigh of satisfaction as his first mouthful of ice
went slowly down his throat.

'H'm--well, fairish. The Princess is rather more to my taste. I like 'em
blonde and queenly and elegant, don't you know.'

'Yes, Jo is too lively; might as well dance with a grasshopper.
I've tried her, and she's one too many for me. Miss Perry is a nice,
easy-going girl. Got her for the german.'

'You'll never be a dancing man. Too lazy. Now I'll undertake to steer
any girl and dance down any fellow you please. Dancing's my forte.' And
Dolly glanced from his trim feet to his flashing gem with the defiant