"&39;Well,perhapseveryonedoesn&39;tfeelthesameasIdo;forFathersaysI&39;mabornantiquarian,justasheis!&39;Wecouldn&39;tsayaword,eitherofus,foractually,wedon&39;tknowwhat&39;antiquarian&39;means!Shewentoutoftheroomjustafterthatandbroughtbacksomelemonadeandlittlesweetcrackers.Thenwehadtoleave,foritwasgettinglate,andweknewyou&39;dbewatchingforus."HereBessendedherrecitalandMargaretinstantlyexclaimed:"Getthedictionary—quick!Iwanttoseewhat&39;antiquarian&39;means!""That&39;sjustlikeyou!"commentedJess,asshehauledabigWebster&39;sUnabridgedoutofthebookcase."You&39;realotlikeCorinne,too.Ithinkyoutwowouldgetonbeautifullytogether.Hereitis:"&39;Antiquarian,—onewhoisaddictedtothestudyofantiquities;anadmirerofantiquity.&39;13And&39;antiquities&39;areoldthings,ofcourse.Well,whatsheseestoadmirein&39;embeatsme!Anyhow,she&39;sanawfullynicegirl,—sortofunusual,youknow,—andI&39;mgladwemadeheracquaintance.BessandIweresayingonthewayhomethatit&39;skindoflikeanadventuretomeetunusualpeople—"Jessbrokeoffsuddenly,atthesoundofalatch-keyinthefrontdoor,andtheyallexclaimed:"There&39;sMother!Isn&39;tsheearlyto-night!"Apleasant-voicedwomancalledouttothemcheerily,andamomentlaterenteredtheroom.Mrs.Bronson&39;sface,whichsingularlyresembledheryoungestdaughter&39;s,hadoncebeenverypretty,butnowshowedmanytracesofanxiouscare.Herexpressionwasofonewhowasconstantly.Butatthesightofthetrioherfacelitup,thelinessmoothedawaytemporarily,andtenyearsseemedmagicallytodropfromherasshesatdowninthegroup,questioningthemabouttheaffairsoftheirday.
