people, and you must try to behave like the ladies and gentlemen you
will be called upon to associate with."

"Humph!" doubtfully. "I don't know as I could behave like a lady if I
tried. As for the gentleman, if you mean Barney Black--"

"I mean B. Phelps Black. Don't you dare call him Barney to-night. If you
do I shall be SO mortified. Hush! Here they are. Very well, Hapgood. You
may show them in."

Even Serena's new gown, fine as it was and proud as she had been of it,
lost something of its glory and sank into a modest second place when
Annette appeared. Mrs. Black had dressed for the occasion. Also, she had
insisted upon her husband's dressing.

"What in blazes must I climb into a dress suit for?" demanded that
gentleman grumpily. "Going to call on Dan Dott and his wife. You don't
expect Dan to be wearing a dress suit, do you? He never wore one in his
life."

"It doesn't make any difference what he wears. I want you to go in
evening dress."

"But, confound it, Annette, we've been calling on those people all
summer."

"THAT was in the country; this is not. Don't you SEE, Phelps? Can't you
understand? Those Dotts have come here to live. I did all I could to
prevent it, but--"

"WHAT?" Mr. Black interrupted with an amazed protest. "Did all you could
to prevent it! Why, you used to preach Scarford to Serena Dott from
morning till night. You were always telling her how much better it was
than Trumet. I don't believe she would ever have thought of coming here
if it hadn't been for you."

Annette stamped her foot impatiently. "Don't you suppose I know it?" she
demanded. "That was when I never imagined there was any chance of their
really coming. But now they have come and we've got to be with them to
some extent. We've GOT to; we can't get out of it. That is why I want
them to see how people of our class dress. I can't TELL her that her
clothes are a sight, as country as a green pumpkin, but I can show
her mine, and she's clever enough to understand. And you can show her
husband. Not that that will do much good, I'm afraid. HE is the real
dreadful part of the thing. Goodness knows what he may say or do at any
time!"

Phelps grinned. Nevertheless, he donned the dress suit.

Mrs. Black had another reason, one which she did not mention, for making
this, their first, call upon the Dotts in their new home a ceremonial
occasion. It was true that they would be obliged to associate with these
acquaintances from the c