h was set on a fringed napkin in a round white china dish, and
put away in the fresh, oak-grained kitchen pantry, where not a crumb
or a slop had ever yet been allowed to rest long enough to defile or
give a flavor of staleness; out of which everything is tidily used
up while it is nice, and into which little delicate new-made bits
like this, for next meals, are always going.

The tea-table itself,--with its three plates, and its new silver,
and the pretty, thin, shallow cups and saucers, that an Irish girl
would break a half-dozen of every week,--was laid with exquisite
preciseness; the square white napkins at top and bottom over the
crimson cloth, spread to the exactness of a line, and every knife
and fork at fair right angles; the loaf was upon the white carved
trencher, and nothing to be done when Kenneth should come in, but to
draw the tea, and bring the brown cake forth.

Rosamond will not leave all these little doings to break up the
pleasant time of his return; she will have her leisure then, let her
be as busy as she may while he is away.

There was an hour or more after all was done; even after the
Panjandrums had made their state call, leaving their barouche at the
heel of the Horseshoe, and filling up all Rosamond's little
vestibule with their flounces, as they came in and went out.

The Panjandrums were new people at West Hill; very new and very
grand, as only new things and new people can be, turned out in the
latest style pushed to the last agony. Mrs. Panjandrum's dress was
all in two shades of brown, to the tips of her feathers, and the
toes of her boots, and the frill of her parasol; and her carriage
was all in two shades of brown, likewise; cushions, and tassels,
and panels; the horses themselves were cream-color, with dark
manes and tails. Next year, perhaps, everything will be in
pansy-colors,--black and violet and gold; and then she will probably
have black horses with gilded harness and royal purple tails.

It was very good of the Panjandrums, doubtless, to come down to the
Horseshoe at all; I am willing to give them all the credit of really
admiring Rosamond, and caring to see her in her little new home; but
there are two other things to be considered also: the novel kind of
home Rosamond had chosen to set up, and the human weakness of
curiosity concerning all experiments, and friends in all new lights;
also the fact of that other establishment shortly to branch out of
the Holabird connecti