Mrs. Vandeusenhisen took this advice very meekly and sat with a boy each side of her, looking curiously around the kitchen, until the door bell rang and she heard the voice of Mr. Marks, the Rector. Then her dignity rose, and the kitchen could content her no longer. Her minister had come, and where he was she had a right to be, and seizing her twins she started for the parlor, where with the fun fairly leaping from his eyes and shining all over his face, Godfrey received her and presented her to Edith. But the splendors of the drawing-room were too much for Mrs. Vandeusenhisen, and after a low courtesy and a whisper to the twins “to make their manners to the lady,” the poor woman sank abashed into a corner, where she found a silken couch on which she ensconced herself with her twins, and bidding them keep still if they did not want to be skinned alive, she prepared to enjoy herself by watching the arrivals. The bell rang constantly now, and with each ring Julia, who was still in her room, stole to the bannister and looking over to see who had come, ran back to report to Alice and Miss Rossiter. This last lady had a headache, and her nerves would not allow her to mingle in the promiscuous crowd assembling below, the Goths and Vandals who had never set foot in that house before. “What would Emily say?” she groaned, as Julia reported one after another, the Widow Barringer, and Nat. Allen, and Mrs. Peter Clafflin with Mrs. Vandeusenhisen and the twins. Poor Miss Rossiter leaned back despairingly on her pillows, and wondered “who would come next.” It was Tom and Rosamond Barton, and the latter came straight to Miss Rossiter’s room, and said “it was such fun, and she meant to coax mamma to have it, and she wished Miss Rossiter could go down and enjoy it!” Julia, Alice and Rosamond descended the stairs together and were met at the foot by Godfrey, who said: “Now, girls, cheek by jowl with Tom, Dick, and Harry, and Peterkin Vandeusenhisen. Look, Alice! there he is casting sheep’s eyes at you, and gotten up stunningly, too.” And truly Peterkin was stunning in his yellow vest and flame-colored cravat, which was tied in a most wonderful bow, and he stood blushing and smiling and watching Alice Creighton, and wondering if she would let him dance with her. The house was full by this time, and a more promiscuous crowd was rarely ever seen in a gentleman’s parlors, or a better behaved, considering everything. “Really, my dear, it is very remarkable how well they conduct themselves,” the colonel said to Edith, as he stood at her side and looked at the people who neither laughed nor talked noisily, nor jostled each other, but spoke together in low, subdued tones as they moved about and quietly inspected the handsome rooms and furniture.