never straight, and his collar, through much moistening of its
raspy edges, was soiled. After him, a lady and gentleman drove up to the
gate in a carriage, and, alighting, the lady swept up the path, in a
double sense, while her husband upbraided the driver for the muddy
condition of the carriage, and then, loudly, "At ten, William!" To which
William as loudly replied, "Can't do it, sir. Got another order; but
I'll send you another man."

The gentleman answered more quietly, with a careful look at the house,
where Mr. Griffin awaited him on the porch,--

"Very well, driver;" and also swept in, and was introduced to Fred as
Mr. Abbert.

Now came a pair who walked, and were addressed and handed around by the
host as "My dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. Dripps;" and then the volume of
new-comers became quite abundant; so much so that a number of gentlemen
with no apparent use for their hands were forced to lean about the hall
and sit on the stairs, which they did up to the very top one. When the
company had simmered down a good deal, and only a few very bold
gentlemen ventured to launch remarks into the unanswering silence, and
when everybody was wondering what everybody else was going to do next,
and all were, as they reported the next day, "enjoying themselves
immensely," there was a stir above stairs, a rustling of dresses, and
then the gentlemen on the stairs, like a row of falling bricks, were
driven down before the gracious smiles and bows of the transformed
hostess.

Tripping down after them and falling at last into the extended arms of
her husband--rather unsteady under the weight--while the stiffly polite
gentlemen formed a compact crowd out to the door. Mrs. Griffin was led,
with no little difficulty, through the seated guests, bestowing bows,
and smiles, and "Glad to see you, my dear Mr. Dripps," and "How well
you're looking, my dear Mrs. Abbert," and "Welcome, gentlemen," (whereat
a murmur ran through the crowd and all shook their heads and tried to
turn round and bow, but utterly failed,) and "Oh! here's my old Fred,"
and sundry other bewitching remarks that led the crowd of gentlemen to
murmur again something like "Charming, be Gad!" and grow uneasy.

But now the bell was rung by Superannuated, who had duly inserted the
chair, and Mr. Abbert, receiving the hostess from the arm of her
husband and in turn delivering his smiling wife to Mr. Griffin, led off
the throng to dinner.

When they arrived at the protru