“That’s for you to decide, Jim,” replied Aunt Alida. “I’ve not made any positive engagements, thinking you might go soon. The first of the week?” “I had Tuesday in mind,” said Uncle Jim. “Tuesday be it,” said Aunt Alida promptly. “We are all ready--at least we are all ready to get ready!” “Now I know you’re really going!” cried Dirk, his reddened cheeks betraying how ill he liked the knowledge. “As long as there wasn’t a date, it didn’t seem true, but now--it does!” “What shall we do to give you a good time before you go?” asked Natalie. “This is Friday--do you want the Tanagers and Bluebirds and a little spread on Monday, or a dance that night, or--what would you like to do, Beth?” “I wouldn’t like to do one single thing with any one outside this house, except Miss Deland and Mr. Leonard,” said Beth. “I’d like to keep right close together, all of us, no one else, my last day.” Beth choked over these two final melancholy words. “Let’s have a house party!” cried Alys inspired. “That means a party of the house, or it does this time. Let’s have ice-cream and cake in the music room, or the gym or somewhere and have a nice little send off of our own to-morrow afternoon. Shall we?” “Have Beth’s Liebchen and Annunciata here, though; they’re so especially Beth’s, and let Tim come and have all the servants in, make it like the English story-books, when all the retainers drink the young heir’s health!” cried Natalie. “Is that a go, mumsy?” asked Dirk. “Isn’t it a sort of introduction to a go? To Beth’s going?” suggested Mrs. Cortlandt. “Surely I agree to the house party, if Beth likes it.” “It will be very nice, if I don’t cry at it,” said Beth. “Nobody cries when they’re going somewhere just for the summer, Beth, and that’s all the leave of absence from here we’ll give you,” said Uncle Jim. It was a queer party which gathered in the music room to bid Beth a formal farewell. Tim, Liebchen, Annunciata were the only guests from outside the house, unless Miss Deland and Mr. Leonard were counted outsiders, but, as Dirk said, “they were inside so much it was about the same thing.” For the rest, all Aunt Alida’s servants were asked to “drink Beth’s health in ice-cream juice, if it melts,” Alys said.