"Oh I know a terrible lot," she said, giving to her mischievous glance just the slightest, most complimentary shade of apprehension. Mr. Skippy Bedelle grew two inches toward the ceiling and looked for a mirror. Two strictly plain young ladies, roommates of Miss Balou's from Farmington, with large black sash bows in their hair, were introduced as Miss Barrons and Miss Cantillon. "Elsa Barrons is perfectly wonderful with the dumb-bells, look at her forearm, and Fanny isn't good looking but awfully clever," said Miss Balou in a whisper which was already confidential. Brother Charles now sauntered in and shook hands with the magnificent condescension of a sophomore. "Have a cigarette before dinner?" He flashed a silver case and tendered it to Snorky, who being unprepared, hesitated, and took one. "Cigarette?" "Love to but I'm in training," said Skippy. Charles, having arrived at the age when everything should weigh heavily upon a sophisticated appetite, bored with his sister, bored with sister's plain looking friends and bored with sister's beaux, retired to the fireplace, where he draped himself on the mantelpiece and looked properly bored with himself, an illusion of greatness which was peculiarly impressive to tadpole imaginations. The arduities of the opening conversation were fortunately interrupted by the announcement of dinner and Skippy, with Maude Adams in reserve, found himself at table between Miss Balou and the swinger of dumb-bells. "You're a Princeton man?" said Miss Barrons after several long breaths. Skippy apportioned the compliment to his manly air and the magnificent lines of the dress suit. "No, I'm Yale. That is I'm preparing," he said carelessly, and hoping that Snorky wasn't listening he added: "Family didn't want me to go in too young, you know." "Oh yes, I know," said Miss Barrons with an appreciative glance at his precocious brow. "I think that's much better too. You don't have half as good a time if you go to college too young." "Eighteen's about right," said Skippy in a more mature manner. The subject being exhausted Skippy counted up the forks while his companion, to appear at ease, asked for the salt to put in her soup. "Do you know Jim Fisher?" she said suddenly. "He's going to Yale next year." Skippy did not know Jim Fisher. "I wonder if you know a perfectly dandy girl?" "Who's that?" "Alice Parks." Skippy did not know Alice Parks, though she lived in New York City. Likewise with a growing feeling of his profound social ignorance, he successively admitted that he did not know Cornelia Baxter, Frances Bowen or Harry Fall. Whereupon Miss Barrons abandoned him to converse with Charles who did know Alice Parks who was so attractive and Harry Fall who had such a strong character. "What the devil is there to talk about," said Skippy to himself as he fidgeted with the soup. "What an awful bore society is." There was Maude Adams, but how was he to get to her?