Polly advised chicken, and the dinner, with its array of vegetables, salads, breads, and pies, was enjoyed by the visitors with appreciative words and voted by the family to be the cap of Benedicta’s records. Dr. Abbe and David Collins came in just as the meal was served, and David’s appearance on Overlook Mountain was astonishing to at least one of the guests. Knowing how matters had stood between the two when Polly left home, Mrs. Randolph’s mind was given more to a study of the possible situation than to the chicken over which Benedicta had reddened her face with patient unconcern. It was not until hours afterwards, when Polly had Nita and Miss Crilly upstairs in her own room, that the girl approached the question which had been in her heart ever since they had come. “You are going to stay a few days with me, aren’t you?” she asked, quivering with eagerness. “Oh, no! we must go back to-night,” Mrs. Randolph answered. Polly shook her head. “You must not! I am going to keep you for a week, at least. No, hear me through! Miss Crilly will--I see by her face.” “Oh, I should be perfectly delighted!” that little woman beamed; “but--” “There isn’t any ‘but,’” resumed Polly. “I guess Mr. Randolph will think he is a big ‘but,’” laughed his wife. “I’ll manage it with him,” promised her hostess, “unless you really don’t want to stay--and in that case I’ll make you want to.” They laughed, and the girl went on. “Give me one good reason for not staying!” she demanded, facing her friend with determination in her eyes. “Why, we didn’t intend to--” “No good!” broke in Polly. “Give me a better.” “Well--this should really have come first--I ought not to leave Nelson--” “Nonsense! He’s perfectly well, isn’t he?” “Yes, only--” “No ‘onlys’ allowed. I told you I’d manage him. Is that all?” Miss Crilly was laughing, and Mrs. Randolph followed. “You’d be the same old Polly if you lived to be a hundred,” she said. “Truly, dear, I don’t see how I can--” “It’s all settled,” announced the girl quietly--“you and Miss Crilly are going to stay a week, anyway--maybe longer.” They began to demur, but Polly laughingly held up a warning finger. And immediately she branched off into plans for the next few days. “We’ll go to Mirror Lake for one place,” she told them. “I wish I could include Mr. Randolph and the boys in my invitation. I could eat them, as--who is it says that?--but I can’t sleep them.” Miss Crilly went off in a spasm of laughter, while Polly continued.