y be funnier; and they both laughed in unison. If people cannot
derive innocent fun from watching the disappointment of their hostess,
in what direction may the elements of mirth be found?

It was agreed that Mrs. Linton had invited Herbert Courtland up the
river for her own special entertainment--that she had expected him to
punt her up the river highways and the backwater by-ways, while Phyllis
Ayrton and the rest of her guests looked after themselves, or looked
after Mrs. Linton's husband; but it appeared that Herbert Courtland had
not been consulted on this subject, the result being that Mrs. Linton's
arrangements had been thrown into confusion.

The consensus of opinion among the guests was to the effect that Mrs.
Linton's arrangements had been thrown very much awry indeed. But then
the guests were amused, and as it is getting more and more difficult
every year to amuse one's guests, especially those forming a house-party
at a season when nothing lends itself to laughter, Mrs. Linton would
have had every reason to congratulate herself upon the success of her
party, had she been made aware of the innocent mirth which prevailed for
some days among her guests.

She would possibly have been greatly diverted also at the overshrewdness
of her guests, who were, of course, quite ignorant of the conversation
regarding Phyllis Ayrton which had immediately preceded her invitation
to Herbert to spend a few days on the river.

But though Ella had undoubtedly given Herbert to understand that she
was anxious to have him at The Mooring while Phyllis was there, in order
that he might have an opportunity of seeing more of her, and to obtain
his agreement that her theory that the man who truly loves a woman
should be ready to marry that woman's dearest friend, still it must be
confessed that she was surprised to observe the course adopted by both
Phyllis and Herbert. She had expected that all her tact and diplomacy
would be required in order to bring the young people--with all the
arrogance of the wife of twenty-six years of age she alluded to a girl
of twenty-three and a man of thirty-two as the young people--together.

She had had visions of sitting in the stern of an out-rigger built for
two, remonstrating with Herbert--he would of course be at the oars--for
choosing to paddle her up the river while he allowed some of the other
men to carry off Phyllis in, say, the Canadian canoe. A picture had come
before her of the aggrieved