The three were sitting in the parlor, a small, square room, through whose western windows the sinking sun streamed boldly.  Mrs. Phelps had never seen a room like this before.  There was no note of quaintness here; no high-boy, no heavy old mahogany drop-leaf table, no braided rugs or small-paned windows.  There was not even comfort.  The chairs were as new and shining as chairs could be; there was a “mission style” rocker, a golden-oak rocker, a cherry rocker, heavily upholstered.  There was a walnut drop-head sewing-machine on which a pink saucer of some black liquid fly-poison stood.  There was a “body Brussels” rug on the floor.  Lastly, there was an oak sideboard, dusty, pretentious, with its mirror cut into small sections by little, empty shelves.

It all seemed like a nightmare to poor little Mrs. Phelps, as she sat listening to the delighted reminiscences of the young people, who presently reviewed their entire acquaintanceship for her benefit.  It seemed impossible that this was her Austin, this big-voiced, brown, muscular young man!  Austin had always been slender, and rather silent.  Austin had always been so close to her, so quick to catch her point of view.  He had been nearer her even than Cornelia—­

Cornelia!  Her heart reached Cornelia’s name with a homesick throb.  Cornelia would be home from her club or concert or afternoon at cards now,—­Mrs. Phelps did not worry herself with latitude or longitude,—­she would be having tea in the little drawing-room, under the approving canvases of Copley and Gilbert Stuart.  Her mother could see Cornelia’s well-groomed hands busy with the Spode cups and the heavy old silver spoons; Cornelia’s fine, intelligent face and smooth dark head well set off by a background of rich hangings and soft lights, polished surfaces, and the dull tones of priceless rugs.

“I beg your pardon?” she said, rousing herself.

“I asked you if you didn’t have a cat-fit when you realized that Aus was going to marry a girl you never saw?” Manzanita repeated with friendly enjoyment.  Mrs. Phelps gave her only a few seconds’ steady consideration for answer, and then pointedly addressed her son.

“It sounds very strange to your mother, to have you called anything but Austin, my son,” she said.

“Manz’ita can’t spare the time,” he explained, adoring eyes on the girl, whose beauty, in the level light, was quite startling enough to hold any man’s eyes.

“And you young people are very sure of yourselves, I suppose?” the mother said, lightly, after a little pause.  Austin only laughed comfortably, but Manzanita’s eyes came suddenly to meet those of the older woman, and both knew that the first gun had been fired.  A color that was not of the sunset burned suddenly in the girl’s round cheeks.  “She’s not glad we’re engaged!” thought Manzanita, with a pang of utter surprise.  “She knows why I came!” Mrs. Phelps said triumphantly to herself.