Five minutes later Quincy reached his aunt's house. A "Buttons," dressed
in blue livery, opened the door, and Quincy was ushered into the long
parlor, which ran the full depth of the house, some sixty feet, in which
he had passed many pleasant evenings. He sent up his card, and in a few
moments Buttons returned and delivered the speech which Mrs. Chessman
had taught him and which he had learned by heart: "Mrs. Chessman desires
that you will come up at once."
Quincy bounded upstairs, to the evident astonishment of Buttons, and
made his way to the front chamber, which he knew was his aunt's room.
She loved the sunlight, and it was a constant visitor in that room,
summer and winter. His aunt did not greet him with a "how do you do?"
and a hand-shake. Instead of such a formal reception, she gave him a
hearty hug and kissed him three times, once on the forehead, then on
the cheek, and finally on the lips, in which latter osculation Quincy
took part.
His aunt led him to an easy-chair, then threw herself upon a lounge
opposite to him. She eyed him attentively for a moment.
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