nnet. Her little
black veil ended just where her nose needed a shade. It is needless to
mention that she looked at me as she passed and gave me a smile _a la
profile_, which was ostensibly aimed at a pale young man near the
church-door.

On they came, looking like the remnants of my summer's feast--the supper
after my season's dinner--stale and repelling to my satiated palate. On
entering I saw the ghost of "the Soprano" at the head of the choir, with
less voice and more affectation. The same glances of envy that had been
shot from angry eyes at The Resort I now saw passing between angry eyes
here. The church was full of imitations of this kind, or were they only
inferior originals of the same type?

I learned afterward that the girls of the town were divided into two
classes--the followers of Miss Loude, who was fast and flashy, and the
imitators of Miss Weighty, who affected the quiet style, did not visit
indiscriminately, and was considered "stuck up" by the townspeople,
being the daughter of a retired grocer. During the service they all
looked at me. Some who were of the Loude school did it openly: those
after the Weighty pattern peeped clandestinely over their prayer-books,
through their fans, or between their fingers when praying. The more
clever would use strategy, shivering as if in a draught of air, and
looking around in my direction to see if a window were open, while the
mammas eyed me steadily through spectacles.

"I might have known it," I thought, exasperated: "'tis the same
everywhere, unless I should go to a country where the people are blind."

Dick Hearty, who was there with his sisters, came up after the service
and spoke to me. "Looking well, old fellow!" he said, as if I was not
sick of looking well. "Let me introduce you to my sisters."

His sisters were of the fast and flashy school. Both of them fell in
love with me before I left, though I tried hard to make myself
disagreeable, not thinking it right to disappoint them, being a friend
of the brother, and all that. But unless I wear a mask I cannot prevent
such accidents. I hope they will get over it in time. They were deuced
nice girls too, but more like peonies than wild roses.

Well, as I was saying, Dick introduced me, and insisted on taking me
home with him at once. I already began to fear for the success of my
object, but could not turn back at the very beginning of the promised
land; so I went with him.

It would be tiresome to tell