Edith didn't remain in Europe as long as she expected. She dropped down upon us one night, with Ruth trailing on behind, as unexpectedly as a falling star. I had just had a letter that said that she and Ruth and Alec--my brother had since joined them--were all installed in a fashionable hotel in Paris for six weeks. You can imagine my surprise when Edith and Ruth appeared at my front door. Will and I were playing cribbage. He had laid down his big book; I had put aside my sewing; and the four little pegs on the cribbage-board had already run the course twice. We always play five games of cribbage every night before we go upstairs to bed. We call it our sleeping-powder. Will had just dealt the cards--it was almost nine o'clock--when the door-bell rang. Old Delia had creaked up to bed ages ago, so Will went to the door himself. I didn't bother even to uncurl my feet--I was sitting Turkish fashion--for I thought it must be the expressman. I yawned and waited. I heard Will say, "Hello! hello! Well, well, of all--When did you--Where--" and a moment later, resplendent in a long sealskin coat, a sealskin hat, a perfectly enormous muff and a gold chain purse, Edith pushed into our hall, eyes simply sparkling and cheeks aglow. "Hello, Turtle-doves!" she exclaimed. "Hello, Brother Will! Hello, Mrs. Bobbikins!" I started up. "Of all things!" I ejaculated. Edith kissed me through a prickly veil. Ruth kissed me too. Ruth was simply overwhelming in a huge blue hat with not less than six blue ostrich plumes. They both kissed Will. We all began to laugh. "We _knew_ you'd be surprised," said Ruth. "But I thought--" I began. "Where's Alec?" asked Will. "Why in the world--" I tucked in. "Listen! Wait!" commanded Edith. "_I'll_ explain. We thought," she said, gurgling with mirth, "it would be great fun to surprise you, so--" "Alec got a cable last week--" put in Ruth. "From my dad," Edith went on. "Business! Wasn't it disgusting when we weren't planning to sail for six weeks? Al had to go right on to Chicago--and The Homestead--" "We had the bridal suite on the _Mauretania!_" I heard Ruth exclaim to Will. "--isn't open," finished Edith. "The servants are scattered to the four winds. I've written to them, but of course they haven't had a chance to open things up yet. So we thought it would be fun to--" "To pop in on you!" giggled Ruth. "Can you put us up?" snapped Edith. "Of course! How nice!" I tried to say cordially, with the image of my cold, unused, north guest-room dancing before my eyes, the floor covered with newspapers, two cut-glass punch-bowls, thirteen berry dishes and seven vases. "_Of course_ I can put you up. Take off your things."