“Of course, but that is not too large for a comfortable home for a family of moderate size.  Count your fingers and try it.  To begin at that end of the establishment, we want a scullery, a kitchen, and a servants’ dining room; we want a breakfast room, and a large dining room for the family, and the dining room, by the way, should be one of the largest rooms in the house, say twenty-one or two feet by thirty six or forty; we want a parlor, a drawing room, a library, a billiard room and a picture gallery; a music room and ball room, these being, of course, in one, but as large as two ordinary rooms; then we want a nursery, a workroom for the children, a sick room and a sewing room, an office and a smoking room, and one or two extra sitting or reception rooms.  Each member of the family should have a private sitting room and bedroom, with dressing room and bath for each suite.  That, you see, would just about suit a family of ten people without counting the servants.”

[Illustration:  A CASTLE IN SPAIN.]

“Have you made any calculation Jill, dear, as to how many people there are at present in the United States who could manage to scrape along with thirty-nine rooms instead of forty?”

“Why should I?  This is a castle in Spain.  We have plenty of money, plenty of room, plenty of time.  Our only anxiety is lest there should be a lack of brains to make good use of our room and time and money.”

“And what shall we build it of, jasper, sapphire and chalcedony?”

“No, burned clay and granite, steel, copper and glass.  It shall be defiant of fire and flood; it shall neither burn up nor rot down.”

“One thing more, Jill, when we come to make our wills to which one of the children shall we bequeath the castle?”

Before Jill could answer the door was hurriedly opened and Bessie appeared upon the threshold.

“I’ve just run away from Jim,” she began rapidly.  “We haven’t had a family quarrel exactly, but we’ve argued it over and over, and we come out just as far apart as ever.  Finally I told him I would leave it to you.”

“I haven’t any idea what it is all about, but did Jim agree to that?”

“I didn’t give him a chance to differ.  He always agrees to everything Jill says about building houses But don’t interrupt me.  The baby may wake up at any minute and then Jim will be helpless.  The truth is he is dissatisfied with our home.”

“Jim, dissatisfied; impossible!”

“Yes, he thinks it’s too small.”

“He wants more servants, I suppose; several additional children, a lot more poor relations, and all the various items that go to make up a well-ordered household.”

“No, no; it is the house that is too small.”

“Excuse me, you said the home.  The house is a very different affair.”

“You remember,” Bessie continued, “that when it was built ten years ago Jim thought it was not large enough.  Now he is determined to sell it and build a new one.  There are five good rooms besides the closets, and as there is nobody but Jim and me and the four children and one servant, we have all the room we need.  We have always been perfectly comfortable, and I can’t bear the thought of selling our home.”