"It is early yet," he said, "and your head is so much better in the open air, would you not like to drive out of the city again for half an hour?"
"O no, I thank you, Mr. Sherman," she said with a gratified smile," "the family are up waiting for me, and I would be happy to have you go in and see papa. He will treat you to a glass of superior domestic wine."
Edward went in and drank the wine, and spent a pleasant half hour. Shortly after leaving he fell in with some friends, who invited him into another place where choice wines were kept, and he drank again and yet again, and finally went home quite exhilerated under the influence of stimulant. He found that his sister had arrived some time previously, and she and his mother, and the doctor were quietly seated around the center-table, and had been wondering at his non-arrival.
"Give an account of yourself, loiterer," said Louise, playfully, as he joined the circle.
"We had a fine time Lou, did we not?" said he patting her cheek.
"O, if by we you mean yourself and Miss Hastings I suppose you did have a good time, but I did not enjoy myself a bit."
"Not a bit, are you quite sure? I thought I saw you smile very benignly on a certain young getleman, who objected to your riding with me."
"An optical dulusion, brother, entirely so, I would have much preferred to have gone with you."
"Now I'll kiss you for that," said Edward, suiting the action to the word.
"O Ned, what have you been drinking? Your breath smells of something."