es, and a supper in the woods grander than any of Mrs. Upjohn's, and
bonfires, and the band from Galilee, and bouquets for the ladies, and I
don't know what not, and best of all, unlimited opportunities for
flirting. It's to be _the_ affair of this and every other season past or
future. It's a crying shame you can't go."

"Oh! how I wish I could!" sighed poor Phebe.

"I made pa give me a new dress for it," continued Bell, leaning forward
to pick off the biggest grapes from a bunch on the table. "I mean to look
just too-too. Mr. De Forest is going to row me up. I don't know exactly
how I made him ask me, but I did. It's such a triumph to get him away
from Miss Vernor for once, though I suspect I'll have to pay for it by
doing more than half the rowing myself. I don't suppose he would exert
his precious self to pull an oar more than five minutes at a time. Amy
tried her best to get Mr. Halloway, and so did the Dexters. The way those
girls run after him is a caution even to me; but they didn't get him.
He's monstrously clever in keeping out of people's clutches. I gave him
up long ago as a bad job. Well, good-by, Phebe. Awfully sorry you can't
go. Everybody'll be there, and it's to be the biggest lark out."

During the few days that intervened before Dick's birthday, little else
was talked of anywhere than Mr. Hardcastle's party, which was never
spoken of, by the way, as Mrs. Hardcastle's party, though upon that good
lady devolved the onus of the weighty preparations. It seemed purely Mr.
Hardcastle's affair, just as every thing did in which he was in any way
concerned. Impromptu meetings were held at every house in turn to discuss
the coming event, and the latest bits of information regarding it were
retailed with embellishments proportionate to the imagination of the
accidental narrator. Not a soul in Joppa but knew every proposed feature
of the entertainment better than the hosts themselves. The old people
said it would be damp and rheumatic and would certainly be the death of
them. The young people said it would be divine, and quite worth dying
for. The people who were neither old nor young said nobody could tell how
it would be till after it was over, and they felt it their duty to go to
look after the others. The day came, brilliantly clear and soft and
warm: such a day, in short, as Mr. Hardcastle had felt to be his due, and
had expected of the elements all along as the one token of regard in
their power to accord