"That gets you rid of one of those long, straight, ugly
staircases,"--until that moment Lapham had thought a long,
straight staircase the chief ornament of a house,--"and
gives you an effect of amplitude and space."

"That's so!" said Mrs. Lapham. Her husband merely made
a noise in his throat.

"Then, were you thinking of having your parlours together,
connected by folding doors?" asked the architect deferentially.

"Yes, of course," said Lapham. "They're always so,
ain't they?"

"Well, nearly," said the architect. "I was wondering
how would it do to make one large square room at the front,
taking the whole breadth of the house, and, with this
hall-space between, have a music-room back for the
young ladies?"

Lapham looked helplessly at his wife, whose quicker
apprehension had followed the architect's pencil
with instant sympathy. "First-rate!" she cried.

The Colonel gave way. "I guess that would do.
It'll be kind of odd, won't it?"

"Well, I don't know," said the architect. "Not so odd,
I hope, as the other thing will be a few years from now."