without "sposhiness" an admiration and a
preference like that, he undoubtedly did say. At any rate after
his Christmas at Z---- with Arthur, and some charade parties they
had then at Westover, and after Class Day, when everybody had been
furious to get an introduction, and all the Spreadsplendid girls
and their mothers had been wondering who that Miss Holabird was
and where she came from, and Madam Mucklegrand herself--not having
the slightest recollection of her as the Miss Holabird of that
early-morning business call, whose name she had just glanced at
and dropped into an Indian china scrap-jar before she went
down-stairs--had asked him the same questions, and pronounced that
she was "an exceedingly graceful little person, certainly,"--after
all this, Archie had made up his--mind, shall I say? at least his
inclination, and his moustache--to pursue the acquaintance, and be
as irresistible as he could.

But Rosamond had learned--things do so play into our lives in a
benign order--just before that Christmas time and those charades, in
one of which Archie Mucklegrand had sung to her, so expressively,
the "Birks of Aberfeldy,"--that Spreadsplendid Park was not, at
least his corner of it,--a "piece of her world;" and she did not
believe that Aberfeldy would be, either, though Archie's voice was
beautiful, and--

"Bonnie lassie, will ye go?"

sounded very enticing--in a charade.

So she was quite calm when the Marchbanks party came upon the
ground, and Archie Mucklegrand, with white trousers and a lavender
tie, and the trim, waxed moustache, looking very handsome in spite
of his dapperness, found her out in the first two minutes, and
attached himself to her forthwith in a most undetachable and
determined manner, which was his way of being irresistible.

They were in the midst of their tea and coffee when the West Hill
party came. Miss Arabel was busy at the coffee-table between the two
oaks, pouring out with all her might, and creaming the fragrant cups
with a rich lavishness that seemed to speak of milky mothers without
number or limit of supply; and Rosamond, as the most natural and
hospitable thing to do, conducted the young gentleman as soon as she
could to that lady, and commended him to her good offices.

These were not to be resisted; and as soon as he was occupied,
Rosamond turned to attend to others coming up; and the groups
shifting, she found herself presently a little way off, and
meanwhile Mrs