Miss Vance came to see
them after people returned to town in the fall. They tried to believe
for a time that Mrs. Horn had not got their cards; this pretence failed
them, and they fell back upon their pride, or rather Christine's pride.
Mela had little but her good-nature to avail her in any exigency, and
if Mrs. Horn or Miss Vance had come to call after a year of neglect,
she would have received them as amiably as if they had not lost a day in
coming. But Christine had drawn a line beyond which they would not have
been forgiven; and she had planned the words and the behavior with which
she would have punished them if they had appeared then. Neither
sister imagined herself in anywise inferior to them; but Christine was
suspicious, at least, and it was Mela who invented the hypothesis of the
lost cards. As nothing happened to prove or to disprove the fact, she
said, "I move we put Coonrod up to gittun' it out of Miss Vance, at some
of their meetun's."

"If you do," said Christine, "I'll kill you."

Christine, however, had the visits of Beaton to console her, and, if
these seemed to have no definite aim, she was willing to rest in the
pleasure they gave her vanity; but Mela had nothing. Sometimes she even
wished they were all back on the farm.

"It would be the best thing for both of you," said Mrs. Dryfoos, in
answer to such a burst of desperation. "I don't think New York is any
place for girls."

"Well, what I hate, mother," said Mela, "is, it don't seem to be any
place for young men, either." She found this so good when she had said
it that she laughed over it till Christine was angry.

"A body would think there had never been any joke before."

"I don't see as it's a joke," said Mrs. Dryfoos. "It's the plain truth."

"Oh, don't mind her, mother," said Mela. "She's put out because her old
Mr. Beaton ha'r't been round for a couple o' weeks. If you don't watch
out, that fellow 'll give you the slip yit, Christine, after all your
pains."

"Well, there ain't anybody to give you the slip, Mela," Christine clawed
back.

"No; I ha'n't ever set my traps for anybody." This was what Mela said
for want of a better retort; but it was not quite true. When Kendricks
came with Beaton to call after her father's dinner, she used all her
cunning to ensnare him, and she had him to herself as long as Beaton
stayed; Dryfoos sent down word that he was not very well and had gone to
bed. The novelty of Mela had worn off for Kendri