The doctor doubled himself down with another fit of laughing.

Annie wanted to laugh too, but she did not like his laughing. She
questioned if it were not undignified. She felt that it might be
disrespectful. Then she asked herself why he should respect her.




IX.


"That was a great success," said Mrs. Munger, as they drove away. Annie
said nothing, and she added, "Don't you think so?"

"Well, I confess," said Annie, "I don't see how, exactly. Do you mean with
regard to Mr. Gerrish?"

"Oh no; I don't care anything about him," said Mrs. Munger, touching her
pony with the tip of her whip-lash. "He's an odious little creature, and I
knew that he would go for the dance and supper because Mr. Peck was opposed
to them. He's one of the anti-Peck party in his church, and that is the
reason I spoke to him. But I meant the other gentlemen. You saw how they
took it."

"I saw that they both made fun of it," said Annie.

"Yes; that's just the point. It's so fortunate they were frank about it. It
throws a new light on it; and if that's the way nice people are going to
look at it, why, we must give up the idea. I'm quite prepared to do so. But