"I know I did. Go ahead. Tell me."

"Tell you what I think of you?" said Bee, looking me over as if to find
a sensitive spot for her blow to fall on. "Well, I think that you are
the most hopelessly _bourgeoise_ mortal I ever knew."

I sat up.

"_Bourgeois_!" I exploded.

"From a woman with social possibilities," she went on, "you have
degenerated into a mere housewife. And you and Aubrey have become
positively--"

She paused in order to be more impressive.

"Domestic!" she hissed at last with such vehemence that I bit my
tongue. As I put in no defence she went on, gathering momentum as she
talked.

"When I heard that you had come to live in one of the smartest towns
along the Hudson, where millionaires are as thick as blackberries, I
said to myself: 'Now they will rise to the occasion.' But have you?
No! I come, fresh from those gorgeous house-parties in England, to
find you and Aubrey no better than farmers and--satisfied with
yourselves! If you could only get my point of view and see _how_
satisfied you are!"

"We are happy,--that's what it is!" I interpolated, feebly.

"Then be miserable, but progress!" cried Bee. "Such a state of social
stagnation as you exist in is a sin against yours and Aubrey's talents."

I was so stunned I forgot to bow at this unexpected compliment.

"Here you are in the midst of smart traps, servants in livery, horses
with docked tails and magnificent harnesses, perfectly contented with
fat, lazy horses, an old negro coachman in a green coat, and carriages
whose simplicity is simply disgusting. There is only one really
magnificent thing about Peach Orchard, and that is the dog."

I felt faint. To have earned the right to live in Bee's eyes only by a
dog's breadth! It was mortifying.

"I don't care so much for myself," pursued Bee, comfortably, "but what
Sir Wemyss and Lady Lombard will say, _I_ don't know."

"Why, they aren't coming here, are they?" I gasped, sitting up.

"They are, if you will invite them. Of course I have nowhere to
entertain them, in return for all they did for me, and I thought
possibly you would ask them here for a fortnight, but since I have seen
how you live--unless, perhaps, you would be willing to be smartened up
a bit?"

Bee looked distinctly hopeful.

"What would you suggest?" I asked, huskily.

Bee cleared her throat in a pleased way.

"First of all, let me be assured that I will not be embarrassing you,"
she said, politely.