"No, probably not," said Aunt Faith; "and for that reason, Sibyl would
be of more use in such an emergency than all the rest of you put
together. Does Mrs. Leighton fix any time for the journey, dear?"

"Yes, aunt; about the fifteenth of July."

"Would you like to go?" continued Aunt Faith, somewhat anxiously.

"Of course she would!" exclaimed Bessie. "Four weeks at Saratoga.
Think of it!"

"Of course she would!" said Hugh. "Four weeks of puffs and ruffles!"

"Of course she would!" said Gem. "Four weeks of dancing!"

"Of course she would!" said Tom. "Ice cream every day!"

"I believe I will not decide immediately," said Sibyl, slowly; "I will
think over the matter before I write." As her niece left the room,
Aunt Faith's eyes followed her with a perplexed expression, but
recalling her thoughts, she rang the bell, and then set about her
daily task of washing the delicate breakfast-cups, and polishing the
old-fashioned silver until it reflected her own face back again.

In the garret over the old stone house, a small room had been finished
off as a "studio" for Bessie. It was but a rough little den with
board walls and ceiling, but two south windows let in a flood of
light, and the boards were covered with pictures in all stages of
completion,--fragments of landscape, and portraits of all the members
of the family circle, more or less caricatured according to Bessie's