m in countenance, but Clorinda rather
trifled with the sweets, drinking so much strong tea in her pleasurable
agitation, that to an observer given to ludicrous ideas, her jetty face
would have suggested the idea of an old fashioned black teapot, with her
pug nose for the chubby spout. Sally witnessed this dashing festival
from behind the door, scraped up the jelly left in the glasses, stole
bits of toast and muffins on their road to the table, and solaced her
appetite on various fragments, till at last, growing bold and getting
hungry, she crept to the pantry and purloined half a pumpkin pie. Until
it had disappeared, like a train down a tunnel, she never remembered
that Clo was sure to miss it in the morning, but reflected, in her
fright, that it was possible to shut the cat up in the closet at
bedtime, and so escape detection.

After tea Dolf brought out a pack of cards--a pack which had
mysteriously disappeared from the library table some time before--and
inducted the ladies into the mysteries of sundry little games, winning
their pennies easily and cheating them without the slightest
compunction.

That was a point beyond Clo, she could not lose her money even to Dolf,
and vowed from that time out she would only play for pins.

"Gamblin's wicked," she said, virtuously.

So they played for pins, and Dolf allowed her to be the gainer. When she
lost, Clo gave crooked ones in payment, and thus her high spirits were
preserved untarnished.

CHAPTER LXXIV.

THAT MONEY IN THE BANK.

At last Othello arrived and made the circle complete. A great, shiny
creature, uglier than a mortal easily can be, at whom Miss Dinah cast
admiring glances, and did the fascinating in a way which Clo copied on
the instant.

Dolf reminded her of the chicken, and proposed making a bowl of flip
while she cooked the fowl, an idea which received unanimous approval.

They were gathered about the supper-table, Dolf was carver, and managed
to secure an unfair portion of the delicate bits, proposing all sorts of
trifles to suit Othello's palate, and then devouring them before the
unfortunate creature could get more than a look at the dainties.

Othello was giving an account of his labors during the evening, and from
his story it was quite evident that he had been the most important
personage in the assembly, and Dinah shone like a bronze Venus with the
triumph in his success.

"Oh, laws!" said he, suddenly; "I quite forgot!"

"What