fresh, the guests were not only amused, but
pleased. In the first place, much could be forgiven to the man who owned
Palgrave's Folly. No small consideration was due to one who, in a quiet
country town, had accumulated a million dollars. A person who had the
power to reward attention with grand dinners and splendid receptions was
certainly not a person to be treated lightly.

Mr. Tunbridge undertook to talk finance with him, but retired under the
laugh raised by Mr. Belcher's statement that he had been so busy making
money that he had had no time to consider questions of finance. Mr.
Schoonmaker and the minister were deep in Bibles, and on referring some
question to Mr. Belcher concerning "The Breeches Bible," received in
reply the statement that he had never arrived any nearer a Breeches
Bible than a pocket handkerchief with the Lord's Prayer on it. Mr.
Cavendish simply sat and criticised the rest. He had never seen anybody
yet who knew anything about finance. The Chamber of Commerce was a set
of old women, the Secretary of the Treasury was an ass, and the Chairman
of the Committee of Ways and Means was a person he should be unwilling
to take as an office-boy. As for him, he never could see the fun of old
Bibles. If he wanted a Bible he would get a new one.

Each man had his shot, until the conversation fell from the general to
the particular, and at last Mr. Belcher found himself engaged in the
most delightful conversation of his life with the facile woman at his
side. He could make no approach to her from any quarter without being
promptly met. She was quite as much at home, and quite as graceful, in
bandying badinage as in expatiating upon the loveliness of country life
and the ritual of her church.

Mr. Talbot did not urge wine upon his principal, for he saw that he was
excited and off his guard; and when, at length, the banquet came to its
conclusion, the proprietor declined to remain with the gentlemen and the
supplementary wine and cigars, but took coffee in the drawing-room with
the ladies. Mrs. Dillingham's eye was on Mrs. Talbot, and when she saw
her start toward them from her seat, she took Mr. Belcher's arm for a
tour among the artistic treasures of the house.

"My dear Kate," said Mrs. Dillingham, "give me the privilege of showing
Mr. Belcher some of your beautiful things."

"Oh, certainly," responded Mrs. Talbot, her face flushing, "and don't
forget yourself, my child, among the rest."

Mrs. Dillin