om
him, she wrote him again, asking him to an adjourned meeting of the
first convocation, which had been so successful in everything but
numbers. This time she baited her hook, in hoping that the young men
would feel something of the interest the young ladies had already shown
in the matter. She expressed the fear that Mr. Durgin had not got her
earlier letter, and she sent this second to the care of the man who had
given the tea.

Jeff's resentment was now so far past that he would have civilly
declined to go to the woman's house; but all his hopes of seeing that
girl, as he always called Miss Lynde in his thought, were revived by the
mention of the young ladies interested in the cause. He accepted, though
all the way into Boston he laid wagers with himself that she would not
be there; and up to the moment of taking her hand he refused himself any
hope of winning.

There was not much business before the meeting; that had really been all
transacted before; it was mainly to make sure of the young men, who were
present in the proportion of one to five young ladies at least. Mrs.
Bevidge explained that she had seen the wastefulness of amateur effort
among the poor, and announced that hereafter she was going to work with
the established charities. These were very much in want of visitors,
especially young men, to go about among the applicants for relief, and
inquire into their real necessities, and get work for them. She was hers
self going to act as secretary for the meetings during the coming month,
and apparently she wished to signalize her accession to the regular
forces of charity by bringing into camp as large a body of recruits as
she could.

But Jeff had not come to be made use of, or as a jay who was willing to
work for his footing in society. He had come in the hope of meeting Miss
Lynde, and now that he had met her he had no gratitude to Mrs. Bevidge
as a means, and no regret for the defeat of her good purposes so far as
she intended their fulfilment in him. He was so cool and self-possessed
in excusing himself, for reasons that he took no pains to make seem
unselfish, that the altruistic man who had got him asked to the college
tea as a friendless jay felt it laid upon him to apologize for Mrs.
Bevidge's want of tact.

"She means well, and she's very much in earnest, in this work; but I
must say she can make herself very offensive--when she doesn't try! She
has a right to ask our help, but not to parade us