plate, with "Nicoll" on it, stamped it as
undeniably aristocratic, Miss Lily thought. She urged her mother to
accept it.

"I don't feel as if I could be at that queer old woman's beck and call.
I remember when we were first married she said some very mean things. My
family was quite as good as your father's, Lily. Neither of his brothers
amounted to much, though his sister married a rich Southerner and went
off to forget all her relatives. We've never asked anything of the
Ludlows, and I don't want to now."

"But it will only be for a year or two. Of course I shall marry; and
then you will have two homes."

"I'd a sight rather go with Chris. And if you could teach--seems to me
you might, with your education. And you have had two lovers already."

"Who couldn't take care of me. I am not going to marry that way. But, as
Aunt Nicoll says, 'We shall be sure of a good home.'"

Lily gained her point. Early in the preceding spring they had gone to
Amity Street. The spacious, old-fashioned parlours were a little out of
date, but had been elegant in their day. Lily laid off her mourning, and
fell heir to some handsome gowns that Chris helped her remodel. Mrs.
Nicoll was queer and bad-tempered; and the difficulty had been to keep
servants who would submit to such exactions. Matters went a little
smoother; but poor Mrs. Ludlow had to suffer.

Lily spent a month at Saratoga with Mrs. Nicoll and the maid. The old
lady was a good deal entertained by the airs and graces and bright ways
of her grand-niece. Lily made several conquests; but the desirable offer
of marriage was not forth-coming.

Mrs. Nicoll gave a reception early in the season,--a thing she always
did; and her friends attended with a certain kindly feeling that she was
old, and the duty might never be required of them again. Miss Lily made
quite an impression; and cards and invitations were left for her. And
when she attended a dance at the Apollo Rooms, the height of her
ambition was reached.

At a pretty private dance she met her school-day admirer again, and
tried her charms, which had increased notably since that youthful
period. She did dance beautifully, and had no lack of the small talk of
the day. Jim promised to call, and did so at an early date, rather
surprised at the solid elegance of the place. Lily expatiated skilfully
on dear old Aunt Nicoll, who _would_ have mother come and stay with her;
since they were alone it seemed the best thing to do; and A