! What a horrid idea I had! I was just going to touch your
hat from behind, for fun; but I kept myself from it in time."

Roberts, looking up with a dazed air from the magazine in his hand:
"Why, what would have happened?"

Mrs. Roberts: "Oh, you know it mightn't have been _you_."

Roberts: "But it _was_ I."

Mrs. Roberts: "Yes, I know; and I was perfectly sure of it; you're
always so prompt, and I always wonder at it, such an absent-minded
creature as you are. But you came near spoiling everything by getting
here behind this pillar, and burying yourself in your book that way.
If it hadn't been for my principle of always asking questions, I never
should have found you in the world. But just as I was really beginning
to despair, the Chorewoman came by, and I asked her if she had seen
any gentleman here lately; and she said there was one now, over here,
and I stretched up and saw you. I had such a fright for a moment, not
seeing you; for I left my little plush bag with my purse in it at
Stearns's, and I've got to hurry right back; though I'm afraid they'll
be shut when I get there, Saturday afternoon, this way; but I'm going
to rattle at the front door, and perhaps they'll come--they always
stay, some of them, to put the goods away; and I can tell them I don't
want to buy anything, but I left my bag with my purse in it, and I
guess they'll let me in. I want you to keep these things for me,
Edward; and I'll leave my shopping-bag; I sha'n't want it any more.
Don't lose any of them. Better keep them all in your lap here
together, and then nobody will come and sit on them." She disburdens
herself of her packages and parcels, and arranges them on her
husband's knees, while she goes on talking. "I'm almost ready to drop,
I'm so tired, and I do believe I should let you go up to Stearns's for
me; but you couldn't describe the bag so they would recognize it, let
alone what was in it, and they wouldn't give it to you, even if they
would let you in to inquire: they're much more likely to let a lady in
than a gentleman. But I shall take a coupe, and tell the driver simply
to fly, though there's plenty of time to go to the ends of the earth
and back before our train starts. Only I should like to be here to
receive the Campbells, and keep Willis from buying tickets for Amy and
himself, and us, too, for that matter; he has that vulgar passion--I
don't know where he's picked it up--for wanting to pay everybody's
way; and you'd never