ing on so smoothly and in such a pastoral and delightful way,' said
she, 'that I want some of our friends to visit us. I want them to see
for themselves how enjoyable such a life as this is. I do not believe
any of them know anything about it.'

"'Friends!' I exclaimed. 'We do not want people here. We cannot
entertain them. Such a thing was never contemplated by either of us, I
am sure.'

"'That is true,' said Anita; 'but things are different from what I
expected. They are ever and ever so much better. And we can entertain
people. We have a guest-room which is fitted up and furnished as well as
ours is. If we are satisfied, I am sure anybody ought to be. I tell you
who will be a good person to invite for the first one--Mr. Rounders.'

"'Rounders!' I exclaimed. 'He is the last man in the world for a guest
in this cot.'

"'No, he is not,' answered Anita. 'He would like it very much indeed. He
would be perfectly willing and glad to do anything you do, and to live
in any way you live. Besides, he told me, not very long ago, that he
often thought of the joys of an humble life, without care, without
anxiety, enough, no more, and a peaceful mind.'

"'Very well,' said I; 'this is your picnic, and we will have Rounders
and his wife.'

"'No, indeed,' said Anita, very emphatically. 'She cannot come anyway,
because she is in Europe. But I would not have her if she were here. If
he comes, he is to come alone. Shall I write him a note, or will you?
There is no time to waste.'

"She wrote the note, and when it was finished Isaac carried it to
Baldwin and told him to have it mailed.

"The more I thought about this invitation the more interested I became
in it. No one could be more unsuited to a cotter's life than Godfrey
Rounders. He was a rich man of middle age, but he was different from any
other rich man with whom I was acquainted. It was impossible to talk to
him or even to be with him for five minutes without perceiving that he
was completely controlled by the money habit. He knew this, but he could
not help it. In business resorts, in society, and in the clubs he met
great capitalists, millionaires, and men of wealth of all degrees,
who were gentlemen, scholars, kind and deferential in manner, and
unobtrusive in dress, and not to be distinguished, so far as
conversation or appearance could serve as guides, from those high types
of gentlemen which are recognized all over the world. Rounders longed to
be like one of these