set all Clara's mistakes right," answered Aunt Jane
grimly, then began to fan violently as their hostess approached to have
a dish of chat about "our dear young people."

Rose was in a merry mood that night, and found Mac quite ready for fun,
which was fortunate, since her first remark set them off on a droll
subject.

"Oh, Mac! Annabel has just confided to me that she is engaged to Fun
See! Think of her going to housekeeping in Canton someday and having to
order rats, puppies, and bird's-nest soup for dinner," whispered Rose,
too much amused to keep the news to herself.

"By Confucius! Isn't that a sweet prospect?" And Mac burst out laughing,
to the great surprise of his neighbors, who wondered what there was
amusing about the Chinese sage. "It is rather alarming, though, to have
these infants going on at this rate. Seems to be catching, a new sort of
scarlet fever, to judge by Annabel's cheeks and Kitty's gown," he added,
regarding the aforesaid ladies with eyes still twinkling with merriment.

"Don't be ungallant, but go and do likewise, for it is all the fashion.
I heard Mrs. Van tell old Mrs. Joy that it was going to be a marrying
year, so you'll be sure to catch it," answered Rose, reefing her skirts,
for, with all his training, Mac still found it difficult to keep his
long legs out of the man-traps.

"It doesn't look like a painful disease, but I must be careful, for
I've no time to be ill now. What are the symptoms?" asked Mac, trying
to combine business with pleasure and improve his mind while doing his
duty.

"If you ever come back I'll tell you," laughed Rose as he danced away
into the wrong corner, bumped smartly against another gentleman, and
returned as soberly as if that was the proper figure.

"Well, tell me 'how not to do it,'" he said, subsiding for a moment's
talk when Rose had floated to and fro in her turn.

"Oh! You see some young girl who strikes you as particularly charming
whether she really is or not doesn't matter a bit and you begin to
think about her a great deal, to want to see her, and to get generally
sentimental and absurd," began Rose, finding it difficult to give a
diagnosis of the most mysterious disease under the sun.

"Don't think it sounds enticing. Can't I find an antidote somewhere, for
if it is in the air this year I'm sure to get it, and it may be fatal,"
said Mac, who felt pretty lively and liked to make Rose merry, for he
suspected that she had a little trouble from