ing a spectacle
of himself"; and no young gentleman in the world was more loath than
George Amberson Minafer to look a figure of fun. And while he stood
there, undeniably such a figure, with Janie and Mary Sharon threatening
to burst at any moment, if laughter were longer denied them. Lucy sat
looking at him with her eyebrows delicately lifted in casual, polite
inquiry. Her own complete composure was what most galled him.

"Nothing of the slightest importance!" he managed to say. "I was just
leaving. Good afternoon!" And with long strides he reached the door and
hastened through the hall; but before he closed the front door he heard
from Janie and Mary Sharon the outburst of wild, irrepressible emotion
which his performance had inspired.

He drove home in a tumultuous mood, and almost ran down two ladies who
were engaged in absorbing conversation at a crossing. They were his
Aunt Fanny and the stout Mrs. Johnson; a jerk of the reins at the
last instant saved them by a few inches; but their conversation was so
interesting that they were unaware of their danger, and did not notice
the runabout, nor how close it came to them. George was so furious with
himself and with the girl whose unexpected coming into a room could make
him look such a fool, that it might have soothed him a little if he had
actually run over the two absorbed ladies without injuring them beyond
repair. At least, he said to himself that he wished he had; it might
have taken his mind off of himself for a few minutes. For, in truth, to
be ridiculous (and know it) was one of several things that George was
unable to endure. He was savage.

He drove into the Major's stable too fast, the sagacious Pendennis
saving himself from going through a partition by a swerve which
splintered a shaft of the runabout and almost threw the driver to the
floor. George swore, and then swore again at the fat old darkey, Tom,
for giggling at his swearing.

"Hoopee!" said old Tom. "Mus' been some white lady use Mist' Jawge
mighty bad! White lady say, 'No, suh, I ain' go'n out ridin' 'ith Mist'
Jawge no mo'!' Mist' Jawge drive in. 'Dam de dam worl'! Dam de dam hoss!
Dam de dam nigga'! Dam de dam dam!' Hoopee!"

"That'll do!" George said sternly.

"Yessuh!"

George strode from the stable, crossed the Major's back yard, then
passed behind the new houses, on his way home. These structures were
now approaching completion, but still in a state of rawness hideous to
George--tho