that the coachman had not known the way exactly.

"Nearly all our friends are on the New Land or on the Hill."

There was a barb in this that rankled after the ladies
had gone; and on comparing notes with her daughter,
Mrs. Lapham found that a barb had been left to rankle
in her mind also.

"They said they had never been in this part of the town before."

Upon a strict search of her memory, Irene could not report
that the fact had been stated with anything like insinuation,
but it was that which gave it a more penetrating effect.

"Oh, well, of course," said Lapham, to whom these facts
were referred. "Those sort of people haven't got much
business up our way, and they don't come. It's a fair
thing all round. We don't trouble the Hill or the New
Land much."

"We know where they are," suggested his wife thoughtfully.

"Yes," assented the Colonel. "I know where they are.
I've got a lot of land over on the Back Bay."

"You have?" eagerly demanded his wife.

"Want me to build on it?" he asked in reply, with a
quizzical smile.