"You needn't, you know," she said. "Dora and I don't really expect it--we understand." He looked so puzzled that she added: "I overheard you just now, about 'working through the family.'" He grew distressfully red and stammered wildly. Cora came at once to his rescue. "Really, it's all right. We don't like parties, ourselves; only it is hard on mother to have such sticks of daughters, so we do our best. But we never mind when people don't ask us. Sometimes we almost wish they wouldn't." The youth was trying desperately to collect himself. "What _do_ you like, then?" he managed to ask. "Oh, books, and the country, and not having to be introduced to people." She was trying to put him at his ease. "We really do like dancing: we do it better than you'd think, for mother made us keep at it. If only we didn't have to have partners and think of things to say to them!" She held out her hand, "Thank you ever so much for asking me, but I'd truly rather not." He wrung her hand, muttered something about "later, then," and fled, still red about the ears. Cora returned to her mother. "Well, my dear, you seemed to be having a tremendous flirtation with that youth," laughed Mrs. Baldwin. "Such a hand-clasp at parting! Don't dance too hard, child." She turned to the half-dozen parents supporting her. "These crazy girls of mine will dance themselves to death if I don't keep an eye on them," she explained. "Amelie says, 'Mother, how can I help splitting my dances, when they beg me to?' I am always relieved when the dance is over and they are safe in bed--then I know they aren't killing themselves. The men have no mercy--they never let them rest an instant." "I don't see Miss Enid about," suggested Mr. Merritt. "I suppose she and her Harry--!" "Oh, I suppose so!" Mrs. Baldwin shook her head resignedly. "The bad child insists on being married in the spring, but I simply can not face the idea. What can I do to prevent it, Mrs. Merritt?" "I am afraid you can't," smiled Mrs. Merritt. "We mothers all have to face that." "Ah, but not so soon! It is dreadful to have one's girls taken away. I watch the others like a hawk; the instant a man looks too serious--pouf!--I whisk him away!" Cora stood looking down, with set lips; a flush had risen in her usually pale cheeks. Dora, setting free an impatient partner, joined her and they drew aside. "It does make me so ashamed!" said Cora, impulsively. "I think mother really makes herself believe it," said Dora, with instant understanding. They watched Amelie flutter up to their mother to have a bow retied, and stand radiant under the raillery, though she made a decent pretense of pouting. Her partner vanished, and Mrs. Baldwin insisted on her resting "for one minute," which ended when another partner appeared. "Amelie is asked much more than we are, always," Cora suggested. Dora nodded at the implication. "I know. I wonder why it never seems quite real. Perhaps because the devoted ones are such silly little men."