"This is the drawing-room," said Lilly, delighted to see the girls looking so impressed. "Isn't it splendid?" And she led the way into a stiff, chilly, magnificent apartment, where all the blinds were closed, and all the shades pulled down, and all the furniture shrouded in linen covers. Even the picture frames and mirrors were sewed up in muslin to keep off flies; and the bronzes and alabaster ornaments on the chimney-piece and _etagere_ gleamed through the dim light in a ghostly way. Katy thought it very dismal. She couldn't imagine anybody sitting down there to read or sew, or do any thing pleasant, and probably it was not intended that any one should do so; for Mrs. Page soon showed them out, and led the way into a smaller room at the back of the hall. "Well, Katy," she said, "how do you like Hillsover?" "Very well, ma'am," replied Katy; but she did not speak enthusiastically. "Ah!" said Mrs. Page shaking her head, "it takes time to shake off home habits, and to learn to get along with young people after living with older ones and catching their ways. You'll like it better as you go on." Katy privately doubted whether this was true, but she did not say so. Pretty soon Lilly offered to show them upstairs to their room. She took them first into three large and elegant chambers, which she explained were kept for grand company, and then into a much smaller one in a wing. "Mother always puts my friends in here," she remarked: "she says it's plenty good enough for school-girls to thrash about in!" "What does she mean?" cried Clover, indignantly, as Lilly closed the door. "We don't thrash!" "I can't imagine," answered Katy, who was vexed too. But pretty soon she began to laugh. "People are so funny!" she said. "Never mind, Clovy, this room is good enough, I'm sure." "Must we unpack, or will it do to go down in our alpacas?" asked Clover. "I don't know," replied Katy, in a doubtful tone. "Perhaps we had better change our gowns. Cousin Olivia always dresses so much! Here's your blue muslin right on top of the trunk. You might put on that, and I'll wear my purple." The girls were glad that they had done this, for it was evidently expected, and Lilly had dressed her hair and donned a fresh white pique. Mrs. Page examined their dresses, and said that Clover's was a lovely blue, but that ruffles were quite gone out, and every thing must be made with basques. She supposed they needed quantities of things, and she had already engaged a dressmaker to work for them. "Thank you," said Katy, "but I don't think we need any thing. We had our winter dresses made before we left home." "Winter dresses! last spring! My dear, what were you thinking of? They must be completely out of fashion." "You can't think how little Hillsover people know about fashions," replied Katy, laughing. "But, my dear, for your own sake!" exclaimed Mrs. Page, distressed by these lax remarks. "I'll look over your things to-morrow and see what you need."