And then he never openly takes what he wants,--as Hugh does for
instance,--but he always pretends he does not care for anything, that
he is too much absorbed in intellectual conversation to attend to
anything so sublunary as eating, while all the time he is gloating
over the nice things, and sure to outstay everybody at the table. The
very way he gets a piece of cake is a study. He never takes it boldly,
like any one else, but eyes it awhile; then he turns the plate to the
right or the left, edging it a little nearer; then he looks furtively
at the slices, and gradually he gets hold of a piece, his little
finger carefully extended all the time, and his face wearing an
expression of pure self-sacrifice to an arduous duty."

Everybody laughed at this description, but Aunt Faith said, "Gently,
Bessie, gently. If that is all you have against Gideon, he has fewer
faults than most young persons of his age."

Somewhat conscience-stricken, Bessie did not reply, and the discussion
went on until the list was fully made out, and Hugh departed to
deliver the invitations and explain the conditions connected with the
editor's sanctum. He returned in an hour with acceptances from most of
the invited guests, and then silence reigned in the old stone house
for the remainder of the day, while all the contributors wooed the
Muses, ransacked their brains, or paced their floors in desperation,
according to their various temperaments. Aunt Faith having been
exempted from duty, moved about the house, arranging flowers and
decorating the pretty supper-table which stood in the sitting-room.
Gem had nothing to do but copy her composition, and yet she consumed
the whole day in a battle with the ink, and came out with a blotted
page at the last. Tom had disappeared; no one knew where he was. Sibyl
came down to dinner in her usual unruffled state, but Bessie's curly