mptly closed his book.

"There is some mistake," he said. "I supposed the ladies and gentlemen
gathered here came in for the purpose of helping, not for ridiculing. Of
course if we differ so entirely on these topics we can be of very little
help to each other."

"So I should judge," Marion said. "And, that being the case, shall we
go?"

"What nonsense!" said Leonard Brooks, following after the retreating
party, but speaking only in a low tone, and addressing Eurie. "One
expects such lofty humbug from Miss Erskine, and even from Miss
Wilbur--the tragic is in her line; but I thought you would enter into
and enjoy the whole thing. I told Holden that you would be the backbone
of the matter."

"Thank you," said Eurie, her voice half choked with indignation and
wounded pride. "And I presume you assisted in the selection of the
characters that I should personate! As I said, I consider myself
insulted. Please allow me to pass."

Much excited, and some of them very much ashamed, they all found
themselves on the street again, Nellis Mitchell being the only one of
the astonished gentlemen who had bethought himself, or had had
sufficient courage to join them.

"Well, what next?" he said.

"Nell," said Eurie, "what do you think of that?"

Nellis shrugged his shoulders.

"It is not according to my way of thinking," he said; "but they told me
you had promised, and I thought if you had, with your eyes open, it was
none of my business. I congratulate you on being fairly out of it. That
Holden is a scamp, I believe."

"And Col. Baker was going to take that character," said Flossy to
herself. And Eurie, in her heart, felt grieved and hurt that her friend
of long standing, Leonard Brooks, could have said and done just what he
had; he could never be to her as though he had not said and done those
things. As for Marion, all she said was:

"I begin to have a clearer idea of what Grace Dennis and her father
mean."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VIII.

DR. DENNIS' STUDY.

THEY walked on in absolute silence for a few minutes, each busy with her
own thoughts. Eurie was the first to speak:

"Girls, I propose we go and call on Dr. Dennis."

Ruth and Marion uttered exclamations of dismay, or it might have been of
surprise. Flossy spoke:

"You don't mean _now_?"

"Now, this minute. We have an hour at our disposal, and we are all
together. Why not, and have it over with? I tell you, that man is afraid
of