bred laugh followed this speech. Its sound irritated the young girl's
ear unspeakably, and the brown eyes flashed, and though there was really
no occasion to feel what was not addressed to her, Polly was quite sure
she utterly disliked the lady before her.

"My dear Mrs. Chatterton," said Mrs. Whitney in the gentlest of accents,
"you do not comprehend; it is not possible for you to understand how
very happy we all are here. The house is quite another place, I assure
you, from the abode you saw last before you went abroad."

Mrs. Chatterton gave another low, unpleasant laugh, and this time
shrugged her shoulders.

"Polly dear," said Mrs. Whitney with a smile, "say good-morning to Mrs.
Chatterton, and then run away. I will hear your wonderful plan by and
by. I shall be glad to, child," she was guilty of whispering in the
small ear.

"Good-morning, Mrs. Chatterton," said Polly slowly, the brown eyes
looking steadily into the traveled and somewhat seamed countenance
before her.

"Good-morning," and Polly found herself once more across the floor, and
safely out in the hall, the door closed between them.

"Who is she?" she cried in an indignant spasm to Jasper, who ran up, and
she lifted her eyes brimming over with something quite new to him. He
stopped aghast.

"Who?" he cried. "Oh, Polly! what has happened?"