"She's going to stand for the party, if that's what you mean; but as to doing what you want on general principles, I'm not so dead sure." "It was your duty, Amzi, to go into the matter thoroughly--to lay down the law to her," observed Mrs. Fosdick. "All right," nodded Amzi. "In the words of the poet, I done it. But Phil doesn't need lectures." "Doesn't need them?" sniffed Mrs. Fosdick. "That poor child couldn't have a lecture too many. She always pulls the wool over your eyes. It's right and proper for us to know just what she said when you told her she had to stop running round so much and act like a respectable well-brought-up girl." "You're a lot of silly geese about Phil--all of you," declared Amzi, bringing his gaze to bear upon them _seriatim_. "Phil is far from being a fool, and there's a heart in her as big as the court-house. We don't appreciate her; we're always nagging her and trying to reform her." The plural was pure chivalry. It was not Amzi who nagged Phil. The aunts, perfectly aware of this, and ready usually to challenge any intimation that their attitude toward Phil was not dictated by equity and wisdom, were silent. Their failure to respond with their customary defense aroused his suspicions. They had been to a tea somewhere and were in their new fall togs. Their zealous attempts to live up to what were to him the absurdest, the most preposterous ideals, struck him just now as pathetic; but he was fond of his sisters. If the course of their lives was inexplicable and their ambitions ridiculous and futile, his good humor never failed in his intercourse with them. But they had not disclosed their hand on this occasion--he was confident of this--and he warily fortified himself to meet whatever assault their strategy had planned. The three women glanced at one another covertly: Kate and Fanny seemed to be deferring to their older sister. It was with unmistakable diffidence and after a minute scrutiny of her cardcase that Mrs. Waterman spoke. "Amzi, this is an important time in Phil's life, and there are some things we ought to counsel each other about. We all take it for granted that you know where Lois is." Amzi crossed his fat legs and shrugged his fat shoulders. He was not in the least pleased by the direction of the inquiry. "We feel we are entitled to know all you know about her," added Mrs. Fosdick. "You should remember," said Mrs. Hastings, "that she's our sister as well as yours." Amzi's jaws tightened and he inspected the end of his cigar. This sudden manifestation of sisterly interest in Lois was not without its amusing side. They had long ago spurned their sister with bitterness, and his speculations as to the real object of their visit had not touched the remote horizons against which Lois was vaguely limned. "I don't see," he observed deliberately, "that Lois has anything whatever to do with Phil or any of the rest of us."