"Then I drove on to Grove Hill, where I found Miss Sibby spending the day. Roland had just brought her there in their mule wagon. I gave my message. There was a great meeting and great excitement between the Grandieres and the Elks. Rosemary and her little cousins, Erny and Melly, were wild to come. But the stately Miss Susannah declared that they could not go without a chaperon. So I invited her; then I could not 'make a bridge over Miss Sibby's nose,' so I invited her, also." "I am very glad you did!" said Odalite. "But all was not settled yet! Miss Grandiere declared that she and her nieces were not ready, and could not get ready for an hour to come; and, besides that, the addition of five more passengers to the seven we had already in the break would crowd us too much and be too heavy a load, even for our strong draft horses to draw so long a way over such rough roads." "And that last was an undeniable fact." "Of course it was! So I offered to take my party on and return later for the others. But Miss Grandiere urged that that would be too late for them." "She was right again." "Certainly! But then Roland came to the rescue, and offered to drive the second party over here in the mule cart, and so it was settled that he should do so. While we were talking, Mrs. Elk came in, and, of course, I had to invite her." "She never goes out in the evening," said Odalite. "No, of course not. And so she explained, and we excused her. And there they all come now! I hear the cart! I must go and see to them." "And I, too," said Odalite, "must go and take the ladies and children upstairs." And the young pair left the room together to receive the visitors, who had, by this time, entered the hall. "Ah, this is just as it should be," said Miss Grandiere to Miss Bayard, as they saw Leonidas and Odalite approaching together. "Yes, and a heap better than it might have been. If you knew as much as I do, you would say so, too!" "What do you mean?" inquired Miss Grandiere, in a low voice. "Hush! Here they are!" whispered Miss Bayard, as the two young people came up, with outstretched hands and eager voices, to welcome the visitors. "You are in very good time! the dancing has not yet commenced," said Odalite, after the first greetings were passed. "It is not yet seven o'clock," added Le. And Odalite took off the two ladies and the three children to the warm dressing room to lay off their wraps, while Le carried off Roland to his own den, to brush his hair. "My dear Odalite, I am so glad to see you looking so well," said Miss Grandiere, when they had reached the chamber. "I haven't seen her looking so bright for weeks. And that is right, sez I," added Miss Sibby. "Thank you. Everybody tells me that," said Odalite, smiling.