we stayed here, people would get up some unspeakable story
to account for our doing it; that would be the next thing."

"Dillwyn, where are you going?" said Tom suddenly from the floor, where
he had been more uneasy than his situation accounted for.

"I don't know--perhaps I'll take your train and go to Saratoga too. Not
for fear, though."

"That's capital!" said Tom, half raising himself up and leaning on his
elbow. "I'll turn the care of my family over to you, and I'll seek the
wilderness."

"What wilderness?" asked his sister sharply.

"Some wilderness--some place where I shall not see crinoline, nor be
expected to do the polite thing. I'll go for the sea, I guess."

"What have you in your head, Tom?"

"Refreshment."

"You've just come from the sea."

"I've just come from the sea where it was fashionable. Now I'll find
some place where it is unfashionable. I don't favour Saratoga any more
than you do. It's a jolly stupid; that's what it is."

"But where do you want to go, Tom? you have some place in your head."

"I'd as lief go off for the Isles of Shoals as anywhere," said Tom,
lying down again. "They haven't got fashionable yet. I've a notion to
see 'em first."

"I doubt about that," remarked Philip gravely. "I am not sure but the
Isles of Shoals are about the most distinguished place you could go to."

"Isles of Shoals. Where are they? and what are they?" Julia asked.

"A few little piles of rock out in the Atlantic, on which it spends its
wrath all the year round; but of course the ocean is not always raging;
and when it is not raging, it smiles; and they say the smile is nowhere
more bewitching than at the Isles of Shoals," Philip answered.

"But will nobody be there?"

"Nobody you would care about," returned Tom.

"Then what'll you do?"

"Fish."

"Tom! you're not a fisher. You needn't pretend it."

"Sun myself on the rocks."

"You are brown enough already."

"They say, everything gets bleached there."

"Then I should like to go. But I couldn't stand the sea and solitude,
and I don't believe you can stand it. Tom, this is ridiculous. You're
not serious?"

"Not often," said Tom; "but this time I am. I am going to the Isles of
Shoals. If Philip will take you to Saratoga, I'll start to-morrow;
otherwise I will wait till I get you rooms and see you settled."

"Is there a hotel there?"

"Something that does duty for one, as I understand."

"Tom, this is too ridiculous, and vexatiou