ld than this
vulgarly dressed, loud-voiced, and unlady-like girl. Nancy was desired to
abstain from visiting at The Dales, and the Dale girls were told that
they were not to talk to Nancy. Nancy's rapture, therefore, when she was
able to bring Pauline to The Hollies could scarcely be suppressed.

Amy and Becky Perkins were standing in the old porch when the two girls
appeared. Nancy called out to her friends, and they ran to meet her.

"This is Paulie," said Nancy; "in other words, Pauline Dale--Pauline
Dale, the aristocrat. We ought to be proud to know her, girls. Pauline,
let me introduce my special friend, Becky Perkins. She's in pork, but
that don't matter. And my other special friend, Amy Perkins; also in
pork, but at your service. Girls, you didn't happen to notice if supper
was being put on the table, did you?"

"I should think we did," said Becky. "I smelt fish. The boys brought in a
lot of trout. I'm as hungry as hungry can be."

"Let's run upstairs first," said Nancy, turning to Pauline. "You'd like
to take off your hat and wash your hands, wouldn't you, my fine friend of
aristocratic circles?"

"I wish you wouldn't talk like that, Nancy," said Pauline, flushing
angrily, while the two Perkins girls looked at her with admiration.

"Well, then, I won't," said Nancy; "but I'm always one for my joke. I
meant no harm. And you know you are aristocratic, Paulie, and nothing
will ever take it out of you. And I'm terribly afraid that nothing will
take the other thing out of me. I only talk to you like this because I'm
so jealous. So now come along and let's be friends."

The two girls scampered up the old oak stairs. They ran down an uneven
passage, and reached a door of black oak, which was opened with an
old-fashioned latch. At the other side of the door they found themselves
in a long and very low room, with a black oak floor and black oak walls.
The floor of the room was extremely uneven, being up in one part and down
in another, and the whole appearance of the room, although fascinating,
was decidedly patchy. In an alcove at one end stood a four-post bedstead,
with a gaudily colored quilt flung over it; and in the alcove at the
other end was another four-post bedstead, also boasting of a colored
quilt. There were two washstands in the room, and one dressing-table. The
whole place was scrupulously neat and exquisitely clean, for the white
dimity curtains rivalled the snow in winter, and the deal washstands an