left of her. Oh, oh, oh! isn't she finished off beautifully,
though?" and Tom gave way at last to the hilarity he had so long
manfully repressed.

"Finished off! I should say so!" cried Will, joining in Tom's laughter.

"And to think that you were a Pelham,--one of Agnes's wonderful Pelhams
all the time," put in Tilly, still with an air of bewilderment.

"And am now," laughed Peggy. "Oh, Tilly, you are such a dear!"

"One of Agnes's wonderful Pelhams!" shouted Tom. "Guess she won't be in
a hurry to set up a claim to 'em now!" and Tom burst out again in wild
chuckles of hilarity.

"And I never saw her, and I don't believe she ever met one of us
before," cried Peggy.

"She told Amy that she didn't know the Pelhams yet, but that her Aunt
Ann did, and her aunt was coming next month and would introduce her to
them when they arrived," said Tilly, with a demure smile.

"Well, she'll probably like my sister Isabel's Skye terrier, with its
fine name of Prince, much better than she does my poor little plebeian
doggie, with its vulgar name of Pete," remarked Peggy, her eyes
twinkling with fun.

"Oh, Peggy, to think of your hearing all that talk about the dog and
everything."

"And everything? I should say so!" cried Will, starting up and looking
rather red as he recalled his own words.

"Yes, and everything,--all about the dogs and the difference between the
Wentworths and the Pelhams," took up Peggy, dimpling with smiles.

"Oh, I say now," began Will.

"Yes, you may say now just what you did then. I liked it,--I liked it.
It was sensible and plucky of you, and it was such fun. Oh, when I think
that but for auntie and me coming on ahead of the rest, and without a
maid, and the hotel clerk writing only 'Mrs. Smith and niece' in the
register, I should never have had all these wonderful experiences, and
never have known what a friend my Tilly could be,--when I think of all
this, I want to dance a jig, just such a jig as they are playing this
minute;" and up she jumped, this smiling Peggy, and, catching Tilly in
her arms, went waltzing down the path with her toward the hall from
whence floated the gay strains of the "Lancers."

But what was that sound,--that long-drawn, jubilant sound that suddenly
rang over and above the dance music?

"Ta-ra, ta-ra, ta-ra-a-a-a," rang the clear, piercing notes; and out
from halls and offices and parlors came a little flock of folk to see
that most interesting of arrivals at a summer