And so the time passed quite delightfully for the first two months after
the departure of the Viamede party.

It was a disappointment that Edward found himself too busy to make the
hoped-for trip to Viamede at Christmas-time; yet Zoe did not fret over
it, and really enjoyed the holidays extremely, giving and receiving
numerous handsome presents, and, with Edward's assistance, making it a
merry and happy time for the servants and other dependants, as well as
for the relatives and friends still in the neighborhood.

The necessary shopping, with Edward to help her, and the packing
and sending off of the Christmas-boxes to Viamede, to the
college-boys,--Herbert and Harold,--and numerous other relatives and
friends far and near, Zoe thought altogether the most delightful
business she had ever taken in hand.

A very merry, happy little woman she was through all those weeks and
months, Edward as devoted as any lover, and as gay and light-hearted as
herself.

"Zoe, darling," Edward said one day at dinner, "I must drive over into
our little village of Union--by the way, do you know that we have more
than a hundred towns of that name in these United States?"

"No, I did not know, or suspect, that we had nearly so many," she
interrupted, laughing: "no wonder letters go astray when people are not
particular to give the names of both county and State. But what were you
going to say about driving over there?"