"I'm going to lay a few ties," he answered.

"Are you going to build those little funny openwork bridges over all the
streams?" demanded Elinor.

"Something like it. Everything is picturesque in this country from
beggars to railroad bridges, and, speaking of bridges, have you explored
the garden yet? There's a ripping little bridge down there. When Mrs.
Spears gave garden parties that was one of the strolling places."

"Why, we didn't know we had such a pretentious garden!" exclaimed Billie.
"Papa wrote that he had sublet a suburban villa near Tokyo with an acre
or so of ground around it."

"An acre or so?" repeated Nicholas. "That's an estate to them. They can
put as much into an acre without crowding it as other people put into
ten. Perhaps you would like to explore the garden if you have had enough
honorable refreshment?"

"Oh, yes," they answered eagerly, and drawing shy little Mary from the
depths of her chair, Billie followed Elinor and the new friend down the
garden path.

"Would you be interested in seeing the garden?" asked Yoritomo of Nancy.

"I might be induced," she answered drooping her long eyelashes, to the
great amusement of Mr. Campbell, and they also wandered off, leaving the
two older people for a cousinly chat.