“Well,” said Miss Verjoos, when her sister overtook her, Mr. Euston having stopped at his own gate, “you and your latest discovery seemed to be getting on pretty well from the occasional sounds which came to my ears.  What is he like?”

“He’s charming,” declared Miss Clara.

“Indeed,” remarked her sister, lifting her eyebrows.  “You seem to have come to a pretty broad conclusion in a very short period of time.  ‘Charming’ doesn’t leave very much to be added on longer acquaintance, does it?”

“Oh, yes it does,” said Miss Clara, laughing.  “There are all degrees:  Charming, very charming, most charming, and perfectly charming.”

“To be sure,” replied the other.  “And there is the descending scale:  Perfectly charming, most charming, very charming, charming, very pleasant, quite nice, and, oh, yes, well enough.  Of course you have asked him to call.”

“Yes, I have,” said Miss Clara.

“Don’t you think that mamma——­”

“No, I don’t,” declared the girl with decision.  “I know from what Mr. Euston said, and I know from the little talk I had with him this morning, from his manner and—­je ne sais quoi—­that he will be a welcome addition to a set of people in which every single one knows just what every other one will say on any given subject and on any occasion.  You know how it is.”

“Well,” said the elder sister, smiling and half shutting her eyes with a musing look, “I think myself that we all know each other a little too well to make our affairs very exciting.  Let us hope the new man will be all you anticipate, and,” she added with a little laugh, and a side glance at her sister, “that there will be enough of him to go ’round.”

It hardly needs to be said that the aristocracy of Homeville and all the summer visitors and residents devoted their time to getting as much pleasure and amusement out of their life as was to be afforded by the opportunities at hand:  Boating, tennis, riding, driving; an occasional picnic, by invitation, at one or the other of two very pretty waterfalls, far enough away to make the drive there and back a feature; as much dancing in an informal way as could be managed by the younger people; and a certain amount of flirtation, of course (but of a very harmless sort), to supply zest to all the rest.  But it is not intended to give a minute account of the life, nor to describe in detail all the pursuits and festivities which prevailed during the season.  Enough to say that our friend soon had opportunity to partake in them as much and often as was compatible with his duties.  His first call at Lakelawn happened to be on an evening when the ladies were not at home, and it is quite certain that upon this, the occasion of his first essay of the sort, he experienced a strong feeling of relief to be able to leave cards instead of meeting a number of strange people, as he had thought would be likely.

One morning, some days later, Peleg Hopkins came in with a grin and said, “The’s some folks eout in front wants you to come eout an’ see ’em.”