heads in one family."
"It would destroy the balance of power in the neighborhood."
"Decidedly; as it is, we are a first-class power, owing to Sophie's
cleverness and Richard's prudence; my prodigality is just needed to keep
us from overrunning the county and proclaiming an empire at the next
town meeting. How do you like Sophie, Miss d'Estree? I know you haven't
seen much of her--but what you have? Isn't she clever, and isn't she a
pretty woman to be nearly thirty-five?"
I was feeling very grateful for my invitation, and so I said a great
deal of my admiration for his sister.
"Everybody likes her," he said, complacently. "I don't know a more
popular person anywhere. She is the life of the neighborhood; people
come to her for everything, if they want to get a new door-mat for the
school-house, or if they want a new man nominated for the legislature. I
think she's awfully bored, sometimes, but she keeps it to herself. But
though the summer is her rest, she always does enough to tire out
anybody else. Now, for instance, she is going to have three young ladies
with her for the next two months (besides yourself, Miss d'Estree), whom
she will have to be amusing all the time, and some friends of mine who
will turn the house inside out. But Sophie never grumbles."
"Tell me about them all," I said, consuming with a fever of curiosity.
"O, I forgot you did not know them. Shall I begin with the young
ladies?--(Sam, there's a stone in Jerry's off fore-foot; get down and
look about it--Steady!--there, I knew it)--Excuse me, Miss d'Estree.
Well,--the young ladies. There's one of our cousins, a grand, handsome,
sombre, estimable girl, whom nobody ever flirts with, but whom somebody
will marry. That's Henrietta Palmer. Then there is Charlotte
Benson--not pretty, but stylish and so clever. She carries too many guns
for most men; she is a capital girl in her way. Then there is Mary
Leighton; she is small, blonde, lovely. I do not believe in her
particularly, but we are great friends, and flirt a little, I am told. I
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