owns and hats",' began the gad-fly,
opening the battle with a sly quotation from one of Dolly's unfortunate
speeches about certain studious damsels who cared more for books than
finery.

'I didn't mean you! Your gowns are all right, and those hats the latest
thing out,' began poor 'Dolphus, convicting himself by the incautious
exclamation.

'Caught you that time; I thought you fellows were all gentlemen, civil
as well as nice. But you are always sneering at girls who don't dress
well and that is a very unmanly thing to do; my mother said so'; and
Josie felt that she had dealt a shrewd blow at the elegant youth who
bowed at many shrines if they were well-decorated ones.

'Got you there, old boy, and she's right. You never hear me talk about
clothes and such twaddle,' said Stuffy, suppressing a yawn, and feeling
for another bon-bon wherewith to refresh himself.

'You talk about eating, and that is even worse for a man. You will marry
a cook and keep a restaurant some day,' laughed Josie, down on him at
once.

This fearful prediction kept him silent for several moments; but Dolly
rallied, and wisely changing the subject, carried war into the enemy's
camp.

'As you wanted us to improve your manners, allow me to say that young
ladies in good society don't make personal remarks or deliver lectures.
Little girls who are not out do it, and think it witty; but I assure you
it's not good form.'

Josie paused a moment to recover from the shock of being called 'a
little girl', when all the honours of her fourteenth birthday were fresh
upon her; and Bess said, in the lofty tone which was infinitely more
crushing than Jo's impertinence:

'That is true; but we have lived all our lives with superior people, so
we have no society talk like your young ladies. We are so accustomed to
sensible conversation, and helping one another by telling our faults,
that we have no gossip to offer you.'

When the Princess reproved, the boys seldom resented it; so Dolly held
his peace, and Josie burst out, following her cousin's lead, which she
thought a happy one:

'Our boys like to have us talk with them, and take kindly any hints we
give. They don't think they know everything and are quite perfect at
eighteen, as I've observed the Harvard men do, especially the very young
ones.'

Josie took immense satisfaction in that return shot; and Dolly showed
that he was hit, by the nettled tone in which he answered, with a
supercilious glance a