Daniel had an inspiration.
"Yes, I had a little surprise for you. You remember hearing me talk of Tom Oliver, who used to be one of my closest friends. Well, he's in town today and I was going to ask you if I might not bring him out and present him."
"Oh! I'm so sorry." Then after a pause, as if an idea had occurred to her, she asked:
"Where are you now?"
It was on the tip of his tongue to say the Belvedere, but he reflected quickly that if he did Jennie's tone of sorrow was so apparently sincere that she might propose to hurry back to Mount Holly and be ready to receive them. And this, he knew, would not fall in with Tom Oliver's notion of a "fine, large evening." So he fibbed unreservedly.
"Oh! we're down to the Baltimore Yacht Club."
That was about as far as it was convenient to transport himself beyond the radius of accessibility to Mount Holly.
"My! your voice sounds distinct for that distance," remarked Jennie.
"Yes, doesn't it?" replied Daniel.