fford
to have them cost rather more than a good carpet, perhaps thirty or
forty cents a square foot."

"I don't see the necessity for that," said Jill, who had a frugal
mind--at times. "I know they will outlast a great many carpets, but it
is considerable work to keep a bare floor in order--or rather to put it
in order--which must be taken into account; and, as for saving the
expense of carpets, we shall be likely to spend twice as much for rugs
as the carpets would cost. However, extravagance in rugs is not the
fault of the hard-wood floors and ought not to be charged against them.
We might have a few parquetry floors, but for most of the rooms plain
narrow strips, with a pretty border, will be good enough. What do you
think about it, Jim?"

While Jim was preparing to say that he didn't think he knew much about
such things, there came a crash on the floor above, followed by loud
and incoherent observations by the chambermaid. The chandelier began to
shake, as that substantial domestic fairy flew through the passage that
led to the back stairs, at the head of which she was distinctly heard
to exhort the cook in good set terms to "hurry up with the mop, for the
water-jug was upset and the mistress would be raving if the water came
through the ceiling."

The quartette below listened with conflicting emotions. Jill was
indignant, Bessie horrified--apparently, Jim greatly amused, and Jack
sublimely indifferent. "If there's anything I _despise_," said Jill,
"it is a house that makes a human being seem like an elephant, and
where I can't say my prayers or move a chair in my own room without
rousing the entire household."

"There's one good thing about it," said Jim pleasantly. "You can't help
knowing what is going on in your own house."

"Spoken like a man and a brother, James. You always go to the root of a
matter. I like to keep posted. No skeletons and gunpowder plots for me.
I had this house made so on purpose." Whereat they all laughed and
again took up the floor question, while the sound of hurrying feet and
the rattling of domestic implements went on overhead, and the
chandelier trembled with the jarring floors.

"I suppose forty dollars' worth of timber originally added to these
floors would have made them so firm that we might drive a caravan
across them without shaking the building. We will, at least, have solid
floors in the new house; but the architect informs us that 'effectual
deafening of the floors and