e Americans never make any trouble. They
seem to understand that so long as we give unlimited opportunity,
nobody has a right to complain."

"What do you hear from Leslie?" asked Mrs. Corey, turning from these
profitless abstractions to Mrs. Bellingham.

"You know," said that lady in a lower tone, "that there is another
baby?"

"No! I hadn't heard of it!"

"Yes; a boy. They have named him after his uncle."

"Yes," said Charles Bellingham, joining in. "He is said to be a noble
boy, and to resemble me."

"All boys of that tender age are noble," said Corey, "and look like
anybody you wish them to resemble. Is Leslie still home-sick for the
bean-pots of her native Boston?"

"She is getting over it, I fancy," replied Mrs. Bellingham. "She's
very much taken up with Mr. Blake's enterprises, and leads a very
exciting life. She says she's like people who have been home from
Europe three years; she's past the most poignant stage of regret, and
hasn't reached the second, when they feel that they must go again."

Lapham leaned a little toward Mrs. Corey, and said of a picture which
he saw on the wall opposite, "Picture of your daughter, I presume?"

"No; my daughter's grandmother. It's a Stewart Newton; he painted a
great many Salem beauties. She was a Miss Polly Burroughs. My
daughter IS like her, don't you think?" They both looked at Nanny Corey
and then at the portrait. "Those pretty old-fashioned dresses are
coming in again. I'm not surprised you took it for her. The
others"--she referred to the other portraits more or less darkling on
the walls--"are my people; mostly Copleys."

These names, unknown to Lapham, went to his head like the wine he was
drinking; they seemed to carry light for the moment, but a film of
deeper darkness followed. He heard Charles Bellingham telling funny
stories to Irene and trying to amuse the girl; she was laughing, and
seemed very happy. From time to time Bellingham took part in the
general talk between the host and James Bellingham and Miss Kingsbury
and that minister, Mr. Sewell. They talked of people mostly; it
astonished Lapham to hear with what freedom they talked. They
discussed these persons unsparingly; James Bellingham spoke of a man
known to Lapham for his business success and great wealth as not a
gentleman; his cousin Charles said he was surprised that the fellow had
kept from being governor so long.

When the latter turned from Irene to make one of these e