Right square before the blinds she turned her back, unconscious of the audience within, lifted her elbows, like clothes-poles, to raise her draperies, and settled herself with a dissatisfied flounce, that expressed beforehand what she was about to put in words.  “For my part,” she announced deliberately, “I think the White Mountains is a clear—­hummux!”

“Good large hummocks, anyway,” returned her companion.

“You know what I mean.  ‘T ain’t worth comin’ for.  Losin’ baggage, an’ everything.  We’d enough sight better ha’ stayed at Plymouth.  An’ if it hadn’t ‘a’ ben for your dunderheadedness, givin’ up the checks an’ never stoppin’ to see what was comin’ of ’em, trunks or hencoops, we might.  There’s somethin’ to see, there.  That little bridge leadin’ over to the swings and seats across the river was real pretty and pleasant.  And the cars comin’ in an’ startin’ off, right at the back door, made it lively.  I alwers did like to see passin.’”

The attitudes inside the blinds were something, at this moment.  Mrs. Linceford, in a spasm of suppressed laughter herself, held her handkerchief to her lips with one hand, and motioned peremptory silence to the girls with the other.  Jeannie was noiselessly clapping her hands, and dancing from one toe to the other with delight.  Leslie and Elinor squeezed each other’s fingers lightly, and leaned forward together, their faces brimming over with fun; and the former whispered with emphatic pantomime to Mrs. Linceford, “If Mr. Wharne were only here!”

“You’ve ben worried,” said the man.  “And you’ve ben comin’ up to ’em gradooal.  You don’t take ’em in.  If one of these ’ere hills was set out in our fields to home, you’d think it was something more than a hummock, I guess.”

“Well, why ain’t they, then?  It’s the best way to put things where you can see ’em to an advantage.  They’re all in the way of each other here, and don’t show for nothing to speak of.  Worried!  I guess I hev ben!  I shan’t git over it till I’ve got home an’ ben settled down a week.  It’s a mercy I’ve ever laid eyes agin on that bran’-new black alpacky!”

“Well, p’r’aps the folks felt wuss that lost them stylish-lookin’ trunks.  I’ll bet they had something more in ’em than black alpackys.”

“That don’t comfort me none.  I’ve had my tribulation.”

“Well, come, don’t be grouty, Hannah.  We’ve got through the wust of it, and if you ain’t satisfied, why, we’ll go back to Plymouth again.  I can stand it awhile, I guess, if ’t is four dollars a day.”

He had evidently sat still a good while for him, honest man; and he got up with this, and began to pace up and down, looking at the “hummocks,” which signified greater meanings to him than to his wife.

Mrs. Linceford came over and put the window down.  It was absolutely necessary to laugh now, however much of further entertainment might be cut off.