'Oh, oh!' and therewith the fact burst on both girls at once. They stood still a moment in dismay, then the stranger went into a fit of laughter. 'Oh, I beg your pardon! I can't help it! It is so funny!' Nuttie was almost infected, though somewhat hurt. 'Who said I was horrid?' she asked. 'Nobody! Nobody but me--Annaple Ruthven--and they'll all tell you, May and all, that I'm always putting my foot in it. And I never meant that you were horrid--you yourself--you know--only--' 'Only nobody wanted us here,' said Nuttie; 'but we could not help it.' 'Of course not. It was shocking, just my way. Please forgive me!' and she looked most pleading. Nuttie held out her hand with something about 'No one could mind;' and therewith Annaple cried, 'Oh, if you don't mind, we can have our laugh out!' and the rippling laughter did set Nuttie off at once. The peal was not over when May herself was upon them demanding what was the joke. 'Oh, there she is! The real May! Why,' said Annaple, kissing her, 'only think here I've been and gone and thought this was you, and inquired about--What was it?--the awful monster--the chimera dire--that Mark had routed up--' 'No; you didn't say that,' said Nuttie, half provoked. 'Never mind what I said. Don't repeat it. I only wish myself and every one else to forget it. Now it is swept to the winds by a good wholesome giggling. But what business have you two to be so inconveniently alike? You are as bad as the twin Leslies!' 'There's an old foremother on the staircase in white satin who left her looks to us both,' said May. 'You'll have to wear badges,' said Annaple. 'You know the Leslies were so troublesome that one had to be shipped off to the East Indies and the other to the West.' 'They married, that's all,' said May, seeing Nuttie looking mystified; and at that moment, Blanche's side coming out victorious, Nuttie descended into the arena to congratulate and be asked to form part of the next set. 'Well, that was a scrape!' said Annaple; 'but she wasn't bad about it! I must do something to make up for it somehow--get Janet to invite her, but really Janet is in such a state of mind that I am mildness itself compared with her. She would not have come, only John was curious, and declared he should go whether we did or not.' 'Ah!' said May, 'I saw him, like the rest of mankind, at madame's feet.' 'Oh! is she of that sort?' 'No,' said May, 'not at all. Mother and father too both think she is good to the backbone; but she is very pretty, with just the inane soft sweetness that men rave about--innocent really. All accounts of her are excellent, and she has nice parish ways, and will be as helpful as Uncle Alwyn will let her.' 'But she couldn't always have been nice?' 'Well, I verily believe it was all Uncle Alwyn's and grandmamma's fault. I know Mark thinks so.'