Regular hours being among the requirements of the head of the Tramlay household, Lucia appeared at the breakfast-table, the morning after the reception, as the clock struck eight. Her father, dressed for business, and her mother, in _négligée_ attire and expression, were discussing the unbidden guest of the evening before. “But he was so country,--so dreadful common,” protested Mrs. Tramlay, with her customary helpless air. “Nonsense!” said her husband. “There was nothing country or common about his face and manners. There hasn’t been so bright-eyed, manly-looking a fellow in our house before since I don’t know when. Eh, Lucia?” “Agnes Dinon said he was real fine-looking,” the girl answered. “Agnes Dinon is thirty-six, if she’s a day,” said Mrs. Tramlay, in a petulant tone. “So much the better fitted to pass opinions on young men,” said Tramlay. “Shows more sense in one girl of her age than a hundred like--like----” “Like me, papa,” said Lucia. “You may as well say it.” “Like you, then. Bless your dear ignorant heart, I’d give my head if you could see as clearly as she without waiting so long to learn.” “You may be very sure, though, that Miss Agnes will never invite him to her own receptions,” declared Mrs. Tramlay. “Wrong again, mamma; she’s invited him for next Tuesday night, and I do believe she devised the reception just for the purpose. None of us had heard of it before.” Mrs. Tramlay gathered all her strength, stimulated it with an entire cup of tea, and exclaimed,-- “Well, I should like to know what society is coming to, if a common farmer’s boy, of no family, can stumble into town and be invited about to good houses.” “Coming to? Why, my dear wife, it is coming to its senses. I’m glad, in this particular case, the movement began at our house.” “Nobody would have paid any attention to him, if you hadn’t talked so much about him,” said Mrs. Tramlay. “One would have thought him a dear old friend, to hear you go on about him as you did.” “I said nothing but what was true. I merely said he was one of the finest young men I had ever known,--that he was of the highest character, and very intelligent besides.” “Such qualities don’t make a man fit for society,” said the lady of the house. “No, I suppose not; if they did we’d see more of them at our receptions and parties.” “Edgar!” “Well, well,” said Tramlay, leaving the table, kissing his wife, and preparing to hurry to his office, “it isn’t your fault; we can’t expect what can’t be had, I suppose.” “Lucia,” said Mrs. Tramlay, after the children had been despatched to school, “I hope your father’s peculiar notions won’t affect you.” “About Phil? Nonsense, you dear old worry! But, really, mother, he made quite an impression. A lot of the girls admired him ever so much. I began to apologize and explain, as soon as I could get rid of him; but I found it wasn’t at all necessary.” “Girls will admire anything that’s new,--anything, from a Zulu to a monkey.” “Mamma!”