e subject."

"I do not quite see the necessity; but no doubt you know best," was
Phillis's somewhat sarcastic answer.

"At least, I did it for the best," returned the young man, humbly. "I
pointed out things to Mrs. Challoner, as I told you I should. I warned
her what the world would say,--that it would regard your plan as very
singular and perhaps quixotic. Surely there is nothing in this to
offend you?"

"You have not touched on the worst part of all," returned Phillis,
with a little disdain in her voice. "About making a sensation, I
mean."

"There it was that your mother so entirely misunderstood. What I said
was this: If this dressmaking scheme were undertaken just to make a
sensation, it would of course, achieve success, for I thought the
novelty might take. And then I added that I was merely stating an
hypothesis by way of argument, and then Mrs. Challoner looked shocked,
and you came in."

"Is that all?" asked Phillis, coming down from her stilts at once, for
she knew of old how her mother would confuse things sometimes; and, if
this were the truth, she, Phillis, had been rather too hard on him.

"Yes. Do you see now any necessity for quarrelling with me?" returned
Mr. Drummond, breathing a little more freely as the frown lessened on
Phillis's face. He wanted to be friends with these girls, not to turn
them against him.

"Well, no, I believe not," she answered, quite gravely. "And I am sure
I beg your pardon if I was rude." But this Archie would not allow for
a moment.

"But, Mr. Drummond, one word before peace is quite restored," went on
Phillis, with something of her old archness, "or else I will fetch my
sisters, and you will have three of us against you."

"Oh, do, Phillis, my dear," interrupted her mother; "let them come and
hear what Mr. Drummond thinks."

"Mammy, how dare you!--how dare you be so contumacious, after all the
trouble we have taken to set your dear fidgety mind at rest? Just look
what you have done, Mr. Drummond," turning upon him. "Now I am not
going to forgive you, and we will not trust the mother out of our
sight, unless you promise not to say this sort of thing to her when we
are not here to answer them."

"But, Miss Challoner, my pastoral conscience!" but his eyes twinkled a
little.

"Oh, never mind that!" she retorted, mischievously. "I will give you
leave to lecture us collectively, but not individually: that must not
be thought about for a moment." She had not a notio