“I might plant one of another sort,” said the old lady, “but trees grow too slow for old people, though plenty fast enough for young ones.  I reckon I’ll let it stand awhile yet.  You were talking last night of Midbranch, sir.  There used to be fine trees there, though it’s many years since I’ve seen them.  Have you been long acquainted with the family there?”

Lawrence replied that he had known Miss March a good while, having met her in New York.

“She is said to be a right smart young lady,” said Mrs Keswick, “well educated, and has travelled in Europe.  I am told that she is not only a regular town lady, but that she makes a first-rate house-keeper when she is down here in the country.”

Lawrence replied that he had no doubt that all this was very true.

“I have never seen her,” continued the old lady, “for there has not been much communication between the two families of late years, although they used to be intimate enough.  But my nephew and niece have been away a great deal, and old people can’t be expected to do much in the way of visiting.  But I have a notion,” she said, after gazing a few moments in a reflective way at the corner of the house, “that it would be well now to be a little more sociable again.  My niece has no company here of her own sex, except me, and I think it would do her good to know a young lady like Miss March.  Mr Brandon has asked me to let Annie come there, but I think it would be a great deal better for his niece to visit us.  Mrs Null is the latest comer.”

Lawrence, speaking much more earnestly than when discussing the locust tree, replied that he thought this would be quite proper.

“I think I may invite her to come here next week,” said Mrs Keswick, still meditatively and without apparent regard to the presence of Croft, “probably on Friday, and ask her to spend a week.  And, by the way, sir,” she said, turning to her companion, “if you are still in this part of the country I would be glad to have you ride over and stay a day or two while Miss March is here.  I will have a little party of young folks in honor of Mrs Null.  I have done nothing of the kind for her, so far.”

Lawrence said he had no doubt that he would stay at the Green Sulphur a week or two longer, and that he would be most happy to accept Mrs Keswick’s kind invitation.

They then moved toward the house, but, suddenly stopping, as if she had just thought of something, Mrs Keswick remarked:  “I shall be obliged to you, sir, if you will not say anything about this little plan of mine, just now.  I have not spoken of it to any one, having scarcely made up my mind to it, and I suppose I should not have mentioned it to you if we had not been talking about Midbranch.  There is nothing I hate so much as to have people hear I am going to give them an invitation, or that I am going to do anything, in fact, before I have fully made up my mind about it.”

Lawrence assured her that he would say nothing on the subject, and she promised to send him a note to the Green Sulphur, in case she finally determined on having the little company at her house.