was at the punch-bowl as on their arrival she
swept past with the General. When he saw the nun-like glance over the
swelling bosom, the poor stricken cynic blushed, turned pale, and
wheeled to flee. But Cecil, as if following orders, arrested him and
began plying him with the punch--from which Giddings seemed to draw
courage: for I saw him, soon, gravitate to her whom he loved and so
mysteriously dreaded.

"It's a pe'fect jewel-case of a house!" said the Captain, as he moved
with the trooping company through the mansion.

"Indeed, indeed it is," said Mrs. Tolliver to Alice; "the jewel, whoever
it may be, is to be envied."

"I hope," said Jim to Josie, "that you agree with Mrs. Tolliver?"

"Oh, yes," said Josie, "but you attach far too much importance to my
judgment. If it is any comfort to you, however, I want to
praise--everything--unreservedly."

"I won't know, for a while," said Jim, "whether it is to be my house
only, or home in the full sense of the word."

"One doesn't know about that, I fancy," said Cecil; "for a long time--"

"I mean to know soon," said Jim.

Josie was looking intently at the carving on one of the chairs, and paid
no heed, though the remark seemed to be addressed to her.

"What I mean, you know," said Cecil, "is that, no matter how well the
house may be built and furnished, it's the associations, the history of
the place, the things that are in the air, that makes 'Ome!"

There was in the manner of his capitalizing the word as he uttered it,
and in the unwonted elision of the H, that tribute to his dear island
which the exiled Briton (even when soothed by the consolation offered by
street-car systems to superintend, and rose-pink blondes to serve),
always pays when he speaks of Home.

"Associations," said Jim, "may be historical or prophetic. In the former
case, we have to take them on trust; but as to those of the future, we
are sure of them."

"Yahs," said Cecil, using the locution which he always adopted when
something subtle was said to him, "I dare say! I dare say!"

"Well, then," Jim went on, "I have this matter of the atmosphere or
associations under my own control."

"Just so," said Cecil. "Clever conceit, Miss Trescott, isn't it, now?"

But Miss Trescott had apparently heard nothing of Jim's speech, and
begged pardon; and wouldn't they go and show her the bronzes in the
library?

"This mansion, General," said the Captain, "takes one back, suh, to the
halcyon days of