“Well, why should he?” replied Clover.  Lilly was more disgusted than ever.

Ashburn was a large and prosperous town.  It was built on the slopes of a picturesque hill, and shaded with fine elms.  As they drove through the streets, Katy and Clover caught glimpses of conservatories and shrubberies and beautiful houses with bay-windows and piazzas.

“That’s ours,” said Lilly, as the carriage turned in at a gate.  It stopped, and Mr. Page jumped out.

“Here we are,” he said.  “Gently, Lilly, you’ll hurt yourself.  Well, my dears, we’re very glad to see you in our home at last.”

This was kind and comfortable, and the girls were glad of it, for the size and splendor of the house quite dazzled and made them shy.  They had never seen any thing like it before.  The hall had a marble floor, and busts and statues.  Large rooms opened on either side; and Mrs. Page, who came forward to receive them, wore a heavy silk with a train and laces, and looked altogether as if she were dressed for a party.

“This is the drawing-room,” said Lilly, delighted to see the girls looking so impressed.  “Isn’t it splendid?” And she led the way into a stiff, chilly, magnificent apartment, where all the blinds were closed, and all the shades pulled down, and all the furniture shrouded in linen covers.  Even the picture frames and mirrors were sewed up in muslin to keep off flies; and the bronzes and alabaster ornaments on the chimney-piece and etagere gleamed through the dim light in a ghostly way.  Katy thought it very dismal.  She couldn’t imagine anybody sitting down there to read or sew, or do any thing pleasant, and probably it was not intended that any one should do so; for Mrs. Page soon showed them out, and led the way into a smaller room at the back of the hall.

“Well, Katy,” she said, “how do you like Hillsover?”

“Very well, ma’am,” replied Katy; but she did not speak enthusiastically.

“Ah!” said Mrs. Page shaking her head, “it takes time to shake off home habits, and to learn to get along with young people after living with older ones and catching their ways.  You’ll like it better as you go on.”

Katy privately doubted whether this was true, but she did not say so.  Pretty soon Lilly offered to show them upstairs to their room.  She took them first into three large and elegant chambers, which she explained were kept for grand company, and then into a much smaller one in a wing.

“Mother always puts my friends in here,” she remarked:  “she says it’s plenty good enough for school-girls to thrash about in!”

“What does she mean?” cried Clover, indignantly, as Lilly closed the door.  “We don’t thrash!”

“I can’t imagine,” answered Katy, who was vexed too.  But pretty soon she began to laugh.

“People are so funny!” she said.  “Never mind, Clovy, this room is good enough, I’m sure.”

“Must we unpack, or will it do to go down in our alpacas?” asked Clover.