p-stairs of the Land of
Counterpane?" he added, his eyes lighting up with their whimsical look.
"Was it the Counterpane Garret? Then it must have been over the top of
the bed that you came from, and you seemed to come in at the door. Did
Louis tell you to come?"

"Louis?" said the Colonel. "What does the boy mean? Stuff and nonsense!
I met your Beloved in the street, ran into her, and thought she was a
post; and then I brought her along, and here she is; and what do you
think about breakfast, Young Sir?"

Young Sir thought very well of breakfast, but he could not think of
eating it without his two friends looking on; so Hildegarde waited in
the parlour, chatting merrily with the Colonel till Young Sir's toilet
was completed, and then breakfast was brought, and Hugh ate, and the
others watched him; and Hildegarde found that she was quite hungry
enough to eat Black Hamburg grapes, even if it was only two hours since
breakfast, and altogether they were very merry.

"And what shall we do now?" asked the Colonel, when the pleasant meal
was over. "The Metropolitan, eh? The boy must see pictures, Hilda, hey?
'The eye that ne'er on beauty dwells,' h'm! ha! folderol! I forget the
rest, but the principle remains the same. Never seen any pictures except
those at home, and the few in Washington. Chiefly rubbish there, I
observe. What do you say, Miss Braeside? Will you give Roseholme the
honour of your company as far as the Metropolitan?"

"Why not?" thought Hildegarde. "Hobson said positively that Aunt Emily
would not see me before lunch, and there is no one else that I need go
to see quite so very immediately."

"Yes, I will go with pleasure!" she said. So off they started, the
cheerfullest three in New York that morning. Busy men, hurrying
down-town to their business, turned to look back at them, and felt the
load of care lightened a little just by the knowledge that there were
three people who had no care, and were going to enjoy themselves
somewhere. Hugh walked in the middle, holding a hand of each friend,
chattering away, and looking up from one to the other with clear, joyful
looks that made the whole street brighter. The Colonel was in high
feather; flourishing his stick, he strode along, pointing out the
various objects of interest on the way. He paused before a mercer's
window, filled with shimmering silks and satins.

"Now here," he said, "is frippery of a superior description; frippery
enough to delight the hear