she could any way escape going to
the table; she felt as if her friend and her sister would read the news
in her face immediately, and hear it in her voice as soon as she spoke.
There was no help for it; she hastened down, and presently perceived to
her wonderment that her friends were absolutely without suspicion. She
kept as quiet as possible, and found, happily, that she was very
hungry. Mrs. Wishart and Madge were busy in talk.

"You remember Mr. Caruthers, Lois?" said the former;--"Tom Caruthers,
who used to be here so often?"

"Certainly."

"Did you hear he had made a great match?"

"I heard he was going to be married. I heard that a great while ago."

"Yes, he has made a very great match. It has been delayed by the death
of her mother; they had to wait. He was married a few months ago, in
Florence. They had a splendid wedding."

"What makes what you call a 'great match'?" Madge asked.

"Money,--and family."

"I understand money," Madge went on; "but what do you mean by 'family,'
Mrs. Wishart?"

"My dear, if you lived in the world, you would know. It means name, and
position, and standing. I suppose at Shampuashuh you are all alike--one
is as good as another."

"Indeed," said Madge, "you are much mistaken, Mrs. Wishart. We think
one is much better than another."

"Do you? Ah well,--then you know what I mean, my dear. I suppose the
world is really very much alike in all places; it is only the names of
things that vary."

"In Shampuashuh," Madge went on, "we mean by a good family, a houseful
of honest and religious people."

"Yes, Madge," said Lois, looking up, "we mean a little more than that.
We mean a family that has been honest and religious, and educated too,
for a long while--for generations. We mean as much as that, when we
speak of a good family."

"That's different," said Mrs. Wishart shortly.

"Different from what you mean?"

"Different from what is meant here, when we use the term."

"You _don't_ mean anything honest and religious?" said Madge.

"O, honest! My dear, everybody is honest, or supposed to be; but we do
not mean religious."

"Not religious, and only supposed to be honest!" echoed Madge.

"Yes," said Mrs. Wishart. "It isn't that. It has nothing to do with
that. When people have been in society, and held high positions for
generation after generation, it is a good family. The individuals need
not be all good."

"Oh--!" said Madge.

"No. I know families among the ve