of the present family the line is clear again). Mrs. Saymore, the
tailor's wife, was not invited, because her husband mended clothes. If
he had confined himself strictly to making them, it would have put a
different face upon the matter.

The landlord of the Mountain House and his lady were invited to Mrs.
Sprowle's party. Not so the landlord of Pollard's Tahvern and his lady.
Whereupon the latter vowed that they would have a party at their house
too, and made arrangements for a dance of twenty or thirty couples, to be
followed by an entertainment. Tickets to this "Social Ball" were soon
circulated, and, being accessible to all at a moderate price, admission
to the "Elegant Supper" included, this second festival promised to be as
merry, if not as select, as the great party.

Wednesday came. Such doings had never been heard of in Rockland as went
on that day at the "villa." The carpet had been taken up in the long
room, so that the young folks might have a dance. Miss Matilda's piano
had been moved in, and two fiddlers and a clarionet-player engaged to
make music. All kinds of lamps had been put in requisition, and even
colored wax-candles figured on the mantel-pieces. The costumes of the
family had been tried on the day before: the Colonel's black suit fitted
exceedingly well; his lady's velvet dress displayed her contours to
advantage; Miss Matilda's flowered silk was considered superb; the eldest
son of the family, Mr. T. Jordan Sprowle, called affectionately and
elegantly "Geordie," voted himself "stunnin'"; and even the small youth
who had borne Mr. Bernard's invitation was effective in a new jacket and
trousers, buttony in front, and baggy in the reverse aspect, as is wont
to be the case with the home-made garments of inland youngsters.

Great preparations had been made for the refection which was to be part