piqued
at the defection of her knight, who has not wavered in his allegiance
for the last year. She is rather pleased than otherwise, she even
breathes little bits of encouragement and commendation to Violet, as
if seconding her efforts; and Violet falls into the mistake that many
have made before her, of comforting a young man and assisting him to
overlive his fancy for another woman, as well as secretly blaming the
other. Eugene is so fond of shifting burthens upon other people.

Laura and Mr. Delancy go abroad. Mrs. Grandon accepts several
invitations for summer visits. She is less the head of the house now
that her daughters are married and away, but she does not abate one jot
of her dignity, and is secretly mortified to see Eugene so ready to
treat with the enemy, as she still considers her.

Mrs. Jasper Wilmarth is at the summit of delighted vanity. They cannot
compete with Grandon Park, but they have taken a rambling old country
house on the outskirts of Westbrook, and Marcia has certainly managed
to accumulate no end of bizarre articles. The rooms are large and the
ceilings low; there are corner fireplaces and high mantels, there are
curtains and portieres and lambrequins, there are pictures and brackets
and cabinets, easels with their "studies," and much _bric-a-brac_.
Jasper Wilmarth insists that the sleeping chamber and sitting-room
shall be kept free from this "nonsense," as he calls it, and does not
meddle his head about the rest. Indeed, he rather smiles to himself to
see of what consequence his name has made her. He does not even object
to being considered a hero of romance in her estimation, knowing her
sieve-like nature, and that whatever is in must drip through somewhere.
She adores him, she waits on him with a curious humility that is very
flattering, while to the rest of the world she puts on rather lofty
airs. They amuse him, and he sees with much inward scorn the respect
paid her--for what, indeed? Was she not as wise and as attractive six
mouths ago? Yet he means she shall have the respect and the honor. He
will not be the rich man that he once dreamed of, but he has enough to
afford her many indulgences. So when she makes a rather timid
proposition for a party of some kind, he listens with attention as she
skips over the ground and makes a jumble of festivities.

"I should choose the garden party," he says, briefly, for in his mind
he considers it the prettiest for the expense and the most enjo