fact, and turned to Nicholas, welcoming him with both hands, and in
the same breath congratulating Mrs. Starkey, showing such honest,
whole-souled delight that Nicholas for a moment let loose in his mind a
half-wish that Miss Pix had proved to be his aunt, so much more nearly
did she approach his ideal. The whole party stood basking for a moment
in Miss Pix's Christmas greeting, then extricated themselves from their
wrappers with the help of their bustling hostess, and were ushered into
her little parlor, where they proved to be the first arrivals. It was
almost like sitting down in an arbor: for walls and ceilings were quite
put out of sight by the evergreen dressing; the candlesticks and
picture-frames seemed to have budded; and even the poker had laid aside
its constitutional stiffness, and unbent itself in a miraculous spiral
of creeping vine. Mr. Manlius looked about him with the air of a
connoisseur, and complimented Miss Pix.

"A very pretty room, Miss Pix,--a very pretty room! Quite emblematical!"
And he cocked his head at some new point.

"Oh, I can't have my Christmas without greens!" said Miss Pix.
"Christmas and greens, you know, is the best dish in the world. Isn't
it, Mrs. Starkey?"

But Mrs. Starkey had no need of a question; for she had already started
on her career as a member of the party, and was galloping over a
boundless field of observation.

There was just then another ring; and Miss Pix started for the door, in
her eagerness to greet her visitors, but recollected in season the
tribute which she must pay to the by-laws of society, and hovered about
the parlor-door till Gretchen could negotiate between the two parties.
Gretchen's pleased exclamation in her native tongue at once indicated
the nature of the arrival; and Miss Pix, whispering loudly to Mrs.
Manlius, "My musical friends," again rushed forward, and received her
friends almost noisily; for when they went stamping about the entry to
shake off the snow from their feet against the inhospitable world
outside, she also, in the excess of her sympathetic delight, caught
herself stamping her little foot. There was a hurly-burly, and then they
all entered the parlor in a procession, preceded by Miss Pix, who
announced them severally to her guests as Mr. Pfeiffer, Mr. Pfeffendorf,
Mr. Schmauker, and Mr. Windgraff. Everybody bowed at once, and rose to
the surface, hopelessly ignorant of the name and condition of all the
rest, except his or her i