"I see. But where shall the bed stand? On these two sides it would come
directly in front of a window; on this side there isn't room between
the two doors; on that, there's the 'set bowl'--I hate 'set
bowls'--and the furnace register in the floor."

[Illustration: NO PLACE FOR THE BED.]

"That's so. I never had any bed in this room. Try the dining-room
chamber; that has a south window. The bed can stand on the north side
and the dressing table over in the other corner."

"Yes, in the dark, with a window behind my back. Oh! Jack, why didn't
you get a wife before you planned your house?"

"I did try."

"You did! You never mentioned it to me before. What is this little room
for?"

"Why, nothing in particular. It came so, I suppose--part of the hall,
you know; but it wouldn't be of any use in the hall, so I made a room
of it. It will hold a cot bed if we should happen to have a house full
of company."

"It will never be needed for that with three other guest rooms; but I
see what can be done. You know I promised not to make any alterations;
but destruction isn't alteration, and as this little room is beside the
front chamber, with only the little cupboards between, a part of the
partition between the rooms can be destroyed. There will be no need of
a door; a portiere will be better, and I can use the small room for a
dressing-room and closet. So _that_ is nicely arranged; and while you
are marking where the partition is to be cut away I will explore the
first story."

[Illustration: ENLARGED BY DESTRUCTION.]

Now, the stairs were built in a very common fashion, having a sharp
turn at the top, which made the steps near the balustrade exceedingly
steep and narrow. Jill's foot slipped on the top step and down she
went, feet foremost, never stopping till she reached the hall floor
below. Jack, hearing the commotion, ran to the rescue, caught his foot
in the carpet and came tumbling after, with twice as much noise and not
half as much grace. Happily the staircase was well padded under the
carpet, and finding Jill unhurt as well as himself, Jack helped her to
rise and coolly remarked:

"You certainly can't find any fault with the stairs, Jill, dear. If
there had been one of those square landings midway it would have taken
twice as long to come down. I--I had them made so on purpose. Will you
walk into my parlor?"

They went in and sat down in easy-chairs.

"I suppose," said Jill, "that our native land contains