"Well, you see, we've been discussing the party question, and are at daggers' points."
The light which had spread over Mr. Elliott's countenance faded off quickly, and Mr. Birtwell saw it assume a very grave aspect. But he kept on:
"You never heard anything so preposterous. Mrs. Birtwell actually proposes that we give a coldwater-and-lemonade entertainment. Ha! ha!"
The smile he had expected to provoke by this sally did not break into the clergyman's face.
"But I say," Mr. Birtwell added, "do the thing right, or don't do it all."
"What do you call right?" asked Mr. Elliott.
"The way it is done by other people—as we did it last year, for instance."
"I should be sorry to see last year's entertainment repeated if like consequences must follow," replied Mr. Elliott, becoming still more serious.
Mr. Birtwell showed considerable annoyance at: this.
"I have just come from a visit to your friend Mrs. Voss," said the clergyman.