speech?"

"We were talking of the country," I replied, growing bold; "Miss Lear
thinks the country is sublime, but the butter-making, etc., horrid."

"Well," said Miss Lear, "it may be my ideas are rather crude, but really
I cannot imagine I could ever make butter! Do you think I could, Mr.
Desmonde?" leaning forward to catch Louis' eye, and plying her flashy
fan with renewed energy and great care to show the ring of emeralds and
diamonds that glistened on her right fore-finger.

"I cannot say, Miss Lear, I am going up to find out the ways and expect
to be Miss Emily's assistant. I imagine it takes brain to do farm work."

Miss Lear waited to rally a little and said only, "Complimentary in the
extreme! Pray tell me the hour, I think my carriage must be here;" then
the fashion-plate shook hands with us both and departed.

I felt almost ashamed, and repeated verbatim to Louis our conversation;
he laughed, and, patting my shoulder, said:

"You spoke quite rightly, she was impertinent, pardon her ignorant
vanity."

Then I stood with Louis and Clara in the centre of the parlors and
received the adieux of their friends. Louis carried his mother in his
arms up stairs and soon dreams carried me home to green fields and
butter-making.