approaching them and rather wondering at Lottie's friendliness.
"Perhaps you had better go at once to your room and prepare. You
will find it warm," and she glanced significantly at his rumpled
hair and general appearance of disorder, the natural results of a
long journey.

He started abruptly, blushed as if conscious of having forgotten
something, and timidly said to Lottie, "Will you excuse me?"

"Yes," she replied sweetly, "for a little while."

He again blushed deeply and for a second indulged in a shy glance
of curiosity at the "cousin" who spoke so kindly. Then, as if
guilty of an impropriety, he seized a huge carpet-bag as if it
were a lady's reticule. But remembering that her eyes were upon
him, he tried to cross the hall and mount the stairs with dignity.
The great leathern bag did not conduce to this, and he succeeded
in appearing awkward in the extreme, and had a vague, uncomfortable
impression that such was the case.

Mrs. Marchmont having disappeared into the dining-room, the young
people went off into silent convulsions of laughter, in which even
Bel joined, though she said she knew it was wrong.

"He is just the one of all the world on whom to play such a joke,"
said Lottie, pirouetting into the parlor.

"It was capital!" chimed in De Forrest. "Lottie, you would make a
star actress."