come, or would he not? And, secondarily, how would Virginia treat him
if he came? Put our friend Stephen for the subjective, and Miss Carvers
party for the objective in the above, and we have the clew. For very
young girls are given to making much out of a very little in such
matters. If Virginia had not gotten angry when she had been teased a
fortnight before, all would have been well.

Even Puss, who walked where angels feared to tread, did not dare to go
too far with Virginia. She had taken care before the day of the party to
beg forgiveness with considerable humility. It had been granted with a
queenly generosity. And after that none of the bevy had dared to broach
the subject to Virginia. Jack Brinsmade had. He told Puss afterward that
when Virginia got through with him, he felt as if he had taken a rapid
trip through the wheel-house of a large steamer. Puss tried, by
various ingenious devices, to learn whether Mr. Brice had accepted his
invitation. She failed.

These things added a zest to a party long looked forward to amongst
Virginia's intimates. In those days young ladies did not "come out" so
frankly as they do now. Mothers did not announce to the world that they
possessed marriageable daughters. The world was supposed to know
that. And then the matrimonial market was feverishly active. Young
men proposed as naturally as they now ask a young girl to go for a
walk,--and were refused quite as naturally. An offer of marriage was not
the fearful and wonderful thing--to be dealt with gingerly--which it has
since become. Seventeen was often the age at which they began. And one
of the big Catherwood boys had a habit of laying his heart and hand at
Virginia's feet once a month. Nor did his vanity suffer greatly when she
laughed at him.

It was with a flutter of excitement, therefore, that Miss Carvel's
guests flitted past Jackson, who held the door open obsequiously. The
boldest of them took a rapid survey of the big parlor, before they put
foot on the stairs to see whether Mr. Brice had yet arrived. And if
their curiosity held them too long, they were usually kissed by the
Colonel.

Mr. Carvel shook hands heartily with the young mean and called them by
their first names, for he knew most of their fathers and grandfathers.
And if an older gentleman arrived, perhaps the two might be seen going
down the hall together, arm in arm. So came his beloved enemy, Judge
Whipple, who did not make an excursion to the rear re