"You are a nice observer!"
"Am I?"
"Pray, at—I forget the name—your home in the country, are the people more happily constituted?"
"Not that I know of. Not more happily constituted; but I think they live more natural lives."
"Instance!" said Philip, looking curious.
"Well," said Lois, laughing and colouring, "I do not think they do things unless they want to. They do not ask people unless they want to see them; and when they do make a party, everybody has a good time. It is not brilliant, or splendid, or wonderful, like parties here; but yet I think it is more really what it is meant to be."
"And here you think things are not what they are meant to be?"
"Perhaps I am mistaken," said Lois modestly. "I have seen so little."
"You are not mistaken in your general view. It would be a mistake to think there are no exceptions."
"O, I do not think that."