na and silver; but fruit is beautiful, and
there was an abundance of that. Coffee of course; and cream, yellow as
gold, for coffee and fruit both. There were more substantial things, to
serve as substitutes for dinner, attesting Mrs. Derrick's good
housekeeping at once, and the loving remembrance of friends. There had
been little need to do much in the house. Mrs. Iredell had taken the
wedding cake into her charge, which Mrs. Stoutenburgh not knowing had
taken it into hers, and into her hands as well; so Faith had both the
bought cake, of the richest and best ornamented to a point, and the
home-made; with plain icing indeed, but wherein every raisin had been
put with a sweet thought.

"This is--ha!--a very agreeable occasion!" said Mr. Somers, smiling at
the ornamented plum cake which was before him. "I--a--really, I don't
see, Mrs. Derrick, how anything could be improved for the pleasure of
the party. We have done a good thing, and to good people, and it's been
well done;" (Mr. Somers vaunted himself), "and in a good
time,--ha--this is the prettiest month in the year, Mr. Linden; and now
we are all enjoying a pleasant sight, before us and around us, and I
enjoy my coffee also very much, Mrs Derrick. The only bad thing about
it is--ha--that it rather spoils one for the next occasion. I assure
you I haven't seen anything like it in Pattaquasset, since I have lived
here! I wasn't married here, Mrs. Stoutenburgh, take notice."

"I hope you don't mean to say you saw anything that was on the table
the day _you_ were married, Mr. Somers!" said Mrs. Stoutenburgh
irreverently.

"Let's hear what you mean by well done,--let's hear, Mr. Somers," said
the Squire.

"He means securely," said Mrs. Somers.

"I feel sure," said Mr. Somers with exquisite significancy, "I feel
sure that _part_ of my audience were at no loss for the meaning of my
words. Experience, somebody says, is the best commentary--hey, Mr.
Linden? is it not so?"--"What, sir?"

Mr. Somers laughed, gently. "I see you coincide with me in opinion,
sir."

"I coincide with him in the opinion that it was well done to ring the
bells," said Mrs. Stoutenburgh. "Reuben, I guess that was your doing."

"Never mind whose it was," said the Squire, "the bells were never put
to a better use, week days, I'll venture. Mr. Linden, won't that lady
by you let me give her another piece of chicken?"--"No, sir," came in a
low voice that had a private chime of its own.

"Little bi