In its upper
story was the commodious apartment which was known in quiet times as the
picture-gallery and in livelier times as the ball-room. It was the
mistress' ambition to have the lively times as numerous as possible--to
dance with great frequency among the pictures. Six or eight couples could
gyrate here at once. There was young blood under her roof, and there was
young blood to summon from outside; and to set this blood seething before
the eyes of visiting celebrities in the arts and letters was her dearest
wish. She had more than one spare bedroom, of course; and the Eminent and
the Queer were always welcome for a sojourn of a week or so, whether they
came to read papers and deliver lectures or not. She was quite as well
satisfied when they didn't. If they would but sit upon her wide veranda in
spring or autumn, or before her big open fireplace in winter and "just
talk," she would be as open-eyed and open-eared as you pleased.
"This is much nicer," she would say. Nicer than what, she did not always
make clear.
Yes, the house was nearly three-quarters of a mile to the west of the
campus, but it was twice as far as if it had been north or south.
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