d as I live, one for _grandma_--'MRS. MARTHA
NICHOLS!'"

"Impossible!" exclaimed Mrs. Livingstone, reaching out her hand for
the billet. "Yes, 'tis Mrs. Martha Nichols!--what can it mean?"

A peep behind the scenes would have told her what it meant. For once
in his life Mr. Graham had exercised the right of being master in his
own house, declaring that if Mrs. Nichols were not invited with the
family, there should be no party at all. Mrs. Graham saw that he was
in earnest, and yielded the point, knowing that in all probability
the old lady would not be permitted to attend. Her husband had
expected a like opposition with regard to 'Lena, but he was
disappointed, for his wife, forgetting her declaration that 'Lena
should never darken her doors and thinking it would not do to slight
her, consented that, on her uncle's account, she should be invited.
Accordingly, the notes were despatched, producing the effect we have
seen.

"How perfectly ridiculous to invite grandma!" said Carrie. "It's bad
enough to have 'Lena stuck in with us, for of course _she'll_ go."

"Why of course?" asked Mrs. Livingstone. "The invitations are at my
disposal now; and if I choose to withhold two of them, no one will be
blamed but Nero, who was careless and dropped them! 'Lena has
nothing decent to wear, and I don't feel like expending much more for
a person so ungrateful as she is. You ought to have heard how
impudent she was that time you all went to Woodlawn."

Then followed a one-sided description of that morning's occurrence,
Mrs. Livingstone working herself up to such a pitch of excitement,
that before her recital was finished, she had determined at all
events to keep back 'Lena's invitation, as a method of punishing her
for her "insolence," as she termed it.

"Mrs. Graham will thank me for it, I know," said she, "for she cannot
endure her; and besides that, I don't think 'Lena expects to be
invited, so there's no harm done."

Carrie was not yet quite so hardened as her mother, and for a moment
her better nature shrank from so mean a transaction, which might,
after all, be found out, involving them in a still worse difficulty;
but as the thought flashed upon her that possibly 'Lena might again
attract Durward toward her, she assented, and they were about putting
the notes aside, when John Jr. came in, catching up his
grandmother's note the first thing, and exclaiming, "Oh,
_rich_!--_capital_! I hope she'll go!" Then, before