in the country. While his nose, long and
usually quite aristocratic-looking, had resigned all claims to
distinction, and was hopelessly pudgy.

"Jasper knows I can't go in this shape," he cried in a fury. "Great
Caesar's ghost! I never supposed it banged a fellow up so, to cry just
once!" And the next moments were spent in sopping his face violently
with the wet towel, which did no good, as it had been plentifully
supplied with that treatment before.

At last he flung himself into his chair. "If I don't go over, Jap will
think I haven't my lessons, so that's all right. And I won't have them
anyway if I don't tackle them pretty quick. So here goes!" And presently
the only sound to be heard was the ticking of the little clock, varied
by the turning of his pages, or the rattling of the paper on which he
was working out the problems for to-morrow.

"Oh dear me! Jasper," Polly exclaimed about half-past seven, "I don't
believe Pickering is coming."

"He hasn't his lessons, I suppose," said Jasper. "You know I told him to
come over as soon as they were done. Well, Polly, we agreed, you know,
to let him alone as to invitations until the lessons were out of the
way, so I won't go over after him."

"I know," said Polly, "but oh, Jasper, isn't it just too elegant for
anything, to think that Mr. Faber says it's all right with him?"

"I should think it was," cried Jasper. "Now if he only keeps on, Polly."

"Oh, he must; he will," declared Polly confidently. "Well, we can put
off toasting marshmallows until to-morrow night."

About this time, Pickering, whose lessons were all done, for he had, as
Mr. Faber had said, "a fine capacity" to learn, was receiving company
just when he thought he was safe from showing his face.

"Let's stop for Pickering Dodge," proposed Alexia, Clare having run in
for her to go over to Polly Pepper's, "to toast marshmallows and have
fun generally."

"All right; so we can," cried Clare. So they turned the corner and went
down to the Cabot mansion, and were let in before the old butler could
be stopped.

Pickering, whose uncle and aunt were out for the evening, had felt it
safe to throw himself down on the library sofa. When he saw that John
had forgotten what he told him, not to let anybody in, he sprang up; but
not before Alexia, rushing in, had cried, "Oh, here you are! Come on
with us to Polly Pepper's!" Clare dashed in after her.

"Ow!" exclaimed Pickering, seizing a sofa pillow, to jam it