“’—­which is typical of its higher social plane, makes a charming raised seat on the platform at the foot of the stairs, and gives a more picturesque effect than would be possible if all the rooms were on a par.’

“Can’t help that.  I shouldn’t like it.  I’d rather be a commonplace housekeeper.”

“’The higher broad landing in the staircase, running quite across the hall, makes a sort of gallery with room for a few book-shelves, a lounging-seat in the window, a band of musicians on festival occasions, with perhaps a pretty view from the window.’

“If the landscape happens to fit the plan.”

“’Under the lower portion, of the stairs there is a toilet room, and at the same end of the hall wide doors lead to the piazza.  A long window also gives access to the same piazza from the drawing-room.  In the second story the chambers have plenty of closets and dressing-rooms, and yet but few doors.  Indeed, many of these may be omitted by using portieres between each chamber and its dressing-room.  You will notice, too, that by locking one door on each story the servants’ quarters can be entirely detached from the rest of the house.’

“Yes,” said Jill, laying down the letter; “and that suggests another question:  What do you think of a plan like this which provides no passage from the kitchen to the front part of the house except across the dining-room?”

[Illustration:  SECOND FLOOR OF WILL’S MASTERPIECE.]

“I should refer the question back to the housekeepers themselves; it is domestic rather than architectural.  If the kitchen servant attends to the door bell, and is constantly sailing back and forth between the cooking-stove and the front door like a Fulton Ferry boat, the amount of travel would justify a special highway—­even a suspension bridge.  Likewise, when the side entrance for the boys and other careless members of the family is behind the dining-room, that apartment will become a noisy thoroughfare, unless there is a corridor passing around it.  This is a common dilemma in planning the average house, and while a direct communication between the front and rear portions is always desirable, crossing one of the principal rooms is often the least of two evils.  It seems to be so in this plan.”

“Go on, Jill.”

“There is but one more sentence about the plan:  ’The outside of the house is severely plain, but you can easily make it more ornamental.’”

“That’s true.  Nothing is easier than to make things ornamental.  The hard thing is to make them simply useful.  Now if you want my candid opinion of this plan,” Jack continued, “I should say it is first-rate if the front door looks toward the east:  if there is a grand view of rivers and mountains toward the southwest; if the family live on the west piazza all the forenoon; if they board a moderate family of servants in the north end (which I notice is a few steps lower than the dining-room—­for social reasons, I suppose)—­if