to me on the piazza, looking like a fairy in her white dress and bit of
blue ribbon, gave me a sweet kiss, and said, "I'll be back before
dinner. Have a nice quiet time, now."

"Oh, yes; have a nice quiet time, and you gone off with that old
dragon!" It was a wicked thought, for she was not a bit of a dragon, but
the feeling came over me that I was going to feel miserable all the
forenoon, and so I did. Miss Van and her uncle had gone early to the
neighboring town, the largest in the county, for church and the
opportunity of observing; Fred and his wife had gone, the night before,
round to the other side of the mountains, where there was to be a sort
of ball or hop at the leading hotel; and the rest of the people in the
house might as well have been in the moon, for all that I cared about
them. A nice quiet time! Oh, yes; lounging about and trying to think of
something besides Mrs. Pinkerton and my own shabby behavior. I would ten
times rather have been in the dullest country church that ever echoed to
the voice of the old and unimproved theology of Calvin's day. But I was
in for it, and lay in the hammock and looked through the stables, tried
to read, tried to sleep, started on a walk and came back, and almost
cursed the quiet country Sunday, as specially calculated to make a man
of sense feel wretched.

At last Bessie and her mother returned, and we had dinner. In the
afternoon I was an outcast from Mrs. Pinkerton's favor, but I had Bessie
and read to her, and, on the whole, got through the rest of the day
comfortably.

The week following I began to feel that this was getting tiresome. Under
other circumstances it might be very pleasant, but really I began to
doubt whether I was enjoying it. But I made up my mind that during these
days of leisure I ought to be making progress in the favor of my
mother-in-law, with whom I was destined to live, nobody could say how
many years. I couldn't and wouldn't make a martyr or a hypocrite of
myself. I wouldn't conceal my actions or deny myself freedom. So I
smoked with Fred, played billiards, rolled ten-pins with Fred's wife and
Miss Van, and even beguiled Bessie into that vigorous and healthful
exercise, which brought a gentle reprimand from her mother, addressed to
her but directed at me. She did not think that kind of amusement
becoming to ladies who had a proper respect for themselves.

"Why, mamma, Miss Van Duzen plays, and says she thinks it jolly fun,"
said Bessie inn