as teasing me until you
moved it," said Mrs. Rutherford. Perhaps she still felt some twinges of
conscience, for she added, "Why not go out with Evert and take a look at
the little old town by moonlight? It's not yet nine."

"I shall be most happy if Mrs. Harold is not too tired," said Winthrop.
He did not rise; but probably he was waiting for her consent.

"Margaret is never tired," said Mrs. Rutherford, making the statement
with a wave of her hand--a wave which drew a flash from all her gems.

"Yes, that is one of the things quite understood and settled--that I am
never tired," observed Mrs. Harold; she still stood by the parapet,
there was no indication in her tone whether she agreed with the
understanding or not.

"Do go," urged Mrs. Rutherford. "You have been shut up with me for six
days on those slow-moving southern trains, and you know how you enjoy a
walk."

"Not to-night, Aunt Katrina."

"You say that because you think I shall not like to be left alone in
this strange house on the first evening. But I shall not mind it in the
least; Celestine is here, and that black boy."

At this moment the door of the room within was opened by Celestine, and
there followed a quick, and what seemed to be, from the sound, a
voluminous entrance, and a hurried step across the floor. "My dearest
darling Katrina!" said Mrs. Carew, pausing at the long window (which she
filled), her arms extended in anticipative welcome, but her eyes not yet
certain which of the three figures on the piazza should properly fill
them.

Mrs. Rutherford rose, with cordial if less excited welcome. "Is that
you, Betty?" she said. And then she was folded in Betty's capacious
embrace.

Hand in hand the two ladies went within, to look at each other, they
said. Mrs. Harold and Winthrop followed.

"Now, Margaret," said Mrs. Rutherford, after the first greetings were
over, "you surely need feel no further scruples about leaving me; Betty
and I have enough to say to each other for a half-hour, I am sure."

"For a half-hour, Katrina? For days! weeks! months!" cried Betty, with
enthusiasm. And she began upon what was evidently to be a long series of
retrospective questions and replies.

"Why not go for a while, if, as you say, you are not tired?" said
Winthrop, in pursuance of his system of showing always a careful
civility to Margaret Harold.

"It was not I that said it," replied Margaret, smiling a little. "I will
go for a quarter of an hour," she