d Lavinia from among
her pillows.

'Very well, then; I leave you now, and shall expect to meet on the
appointed day?'

'If I'm spared,' answered the sufferer.

'I'll bring her, never fear,' added the sanguine Mat, as she rattled the
trays out of an immense trunk.

How they ever did it no one knows; but in a week everything was ready,
and the sisters had nothing left to do but to sit and receive the
presents that showered upon them from all quarters. How kind everyone
was, to be sure! Six fine dressing-cases arrived, and were hung upon the
walls; four smelling-bottles--one for each nostril; bed-socks,
rigolettes, afghans, lunch-baskets, pocket-flasks, guide-books,
needle-cases, bouquets in stacks, and a great cake with their names on
top in red and blue letters three inches long.

Friendly fingers sewed for them; even the gentlemen of the house--and
there were eight--had a 'bee,' and hemmed handkerchiefs for Mat, marked
towels; and one noble being actually took off his coat and packed the
trunks in layers of mosaic-work wonderful to behold. A supper celebrated
the last evening; and even the doleful Lavinia, touched by such
kindness, emerged from her slough of despond and electrified the ball by
dancing a jig with great spirit and grace.

Devoted beings were up at dawn to share the early breakfast, lug trunks,
fly up and down with last messages, cheer heartily as the carriage
drove off, and then adjourn _en masse_ to the station, there to shake
hands all round once more, and wave and wring handkerchiefs as the train
at last bore the jocund Mat and the resigned Lavinia toward the
trysting-place and Amanda.

All along the route more friends kept bursting into the cars as they
stopped at different places; more gifts, more hand-shakes and kisses,
more good wishes and kind prophecies, till at last in a chaos of smiles,
tears, smelling-bottles, luncheon, cloaks, books, and foot-warmers, the
travellers left the last friendly face behind and steamed away to New
York.

'How de-licious this is!' cried the untravelled Matilda, as they stepped
upon the deck of the 'Lafayette,' and she sniffed the shippy fragrance
that caused Lavinia to gasp and answer darkly,--

'Wait till to-morrow.'

While Mat surveyed the steamer under the care of Devoted Being No. 10,
who appeared to see them off, Lavinia arranged the stateroom, stowing
away all useless gear and laying forth dressing-gowns, slippers,
pocket-handkerchiefs, with an an