"Monday evening; then I suppose you'd like to have up the sleigh this afternoon. Who's acoming?"
"They'll every soul come that's asked that you may depend; there ain't one on 'em that would miss of it for a dollar."
Miss Fortune bridled a little at the implied tribute to her housekeeping.
"If I was some folks, I wouldn't let people know I was in such a mighty hurry to get a good supper," she observed, rather scornfully.
"Humph!" said Mr. Van Brunt; "I think a good supper ain't a bad thing, and I've no objection to folk's knowing it."
"Pshaw! I didn't mean _you_," said Miss Fortune; "I was thinking of those Lawsons, and other folks."
"If you're agoing to ask _them_ to your bee, you ain't of my mind."
"Well, I am, though," replied Miss Fortune; "there's a good many hands of 'em; they can turn off a good lot of work in an evening; and they always take care to get me to _their_ bees. I may as well get something out of them in return, if I can."
"They'll reckon on getting as much as they can get o' _you_, if they come, there's no sort of doubt in my mind. It's my belief Mimy Lawson will kill herself some of these days upon green corn. She was at home to tea one day last summer, and I declare I thought "
What Mr. Van Brunt thought he left his hearers to guess.
"Well, let them kill themselves if they like," said Miss Fortune; "I am sure I am willing; there'll be enough; I ain't agoing to mince matters when once I begin. Now, let me see. There's five of the Lawsons to begin with I suppose they'll all come Bill Huff and Jany, that's seven "
"That Bill Huff is as good-natured a fellow as ever broke ground," remarked Mr. Van Brunt. "Ain't better people in the town than them Huffs are."
"They're well enough," said Miss Fortune. "Seven and the Hitchcocks, there's three of them, that'll make ten "
"Dennison's ain't far from there," said Mr. Van Brunt. "Dan Dennison's a fine hand at a'most anything, in-doors or out."
"That's more than you can say for his sister. Cilly Dennison gives herself so many airs, it's altogether too much for plain country folks. I should like to know what she thinks herself. It's a'most too much for my stomach to see her flourishing that watch and chain."
