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Newland and his wife had had no idea of obeying this injunction; but Mrs Carfry, with her usual acuteness, had run them down and sent them an invitation to dine; and it was over this invitation that May Archer rinkling her brows across the tea and muffins

"It's all very well for you, Newland; you KNOW the a lot of people I've never met And what shall I wear?"

Newland leaned back in his chair and smiled at her She looked handsolish air seemed to have deepened the blooinal features; or else it was siht under ice

"Wear, dearest? I thought a trunkful of things had come from Paris last week"

"Yes, of course I meant to say that I shan't know WHICH to wear" She pouted a little "I've never dined out in London; and I don't want to be ridiculous"

He tried to enter into her perplexity "But don't Englishwo?"

"Newland! How can you ask such funny questions? When they go to the theatre in old ball-dresses and bare heads"

"Well, perhaps they wear new ball-dresses at home; but at any rate Mrs Carfry and Miss Harle won't They'll wear caps like my mother's--and shawls; very soft shawls"

"Yes; but hoill the other women be dressed?"

"Not as well as you, dear," he rejoined, wondering what had suddenly developed in her Janey's morbid interest in clothes

She pushed back her chair with a sigh "That's dear of you, Newland; but it doesn't help -dress? That can't be wrong, can it?"

"Oh, dearest! If I only had it here! But it's gone to Paris to be made over for next winter, and Worth hasn't sent it back"

"Oh, well--" said Archer, getting up "Look here--the fog's lifting If we e to catch a glimpse of the pictures"

The Newland Archers were on their way ho to her girl friends, vaguely suone to the Italian Lakes: on reflection, Archer had not been able to picture his wife in that particular setting Her own inclination (after ain July and swi July at Interlaken and Grindelwald, and August at a little place called Etretat, on the Normandy coast, which some one had recommended as quaint and quiet Once or twice, in the mountains, Archer had pointed southward and said: "There's Italy"; and May, her feet in a gentian-bed, had so there next winter, if only you didn't have to be in New York"