d enthusiastic to that degree
that, as day after day progressed and swelled into weeks, and each
lesson came to an end, he would skip away on the tips of his toes, his
nose in the air, and the waxed ends of his moustache, fairly trembling
with delight, "Ah, such patience as Mademoiselle Pep-paire has! I know
no other such little Americane!"

"I think," said Jasper one evening after dinner, when all the children
were assembled as usual in their favorite place on the big rug in front
of the fire in the library, Prince in the middle of the group, his head
on his paws, watching everything in infinite satisfaction, "that Polly's
getting on in music as I never saw anyone do; and that's a fact!"

"I mean to begin," said Van, ambitiously, sitting up straight and
staring at the glowing coals. "I guess I will to-morrow," which
announcement was received with a perfect shout--Van's taste being
anything rather than of a musical nature.

"If you do," said Jappy, when the merriment had a little subsided, "I
shall go out of the house at every lesson; there won't anyone stay in
it, Van."

"I can bang all I want to, then," said Van, noways disturbed by the
reflection, and pulling one of Prince's long ears, "you think you're so
big, Jappy, just because you're thirteen."

"He's only three ahead of me, Van," bristled Percy, who never could
forgive Jappy for being his uncle, much less the still greater sin of
having been born three years earlier than himself.

"Three's just as bad as four," said Van.

"Let's tell stories," began Polly, who never could remember such goings
on in the little brown house; "we must each tell one," she added with
the greatest enthusiasm, "and see which will be the biggest and the
best."

"Oh, no," said Van, who perfectly revelled in Polly's stories, and who
now forgot his trials in the prospect of one, "You tell, Polly--you tell
alone."

"Yes, do, Polly," said Jasper; "we'd rather."

So Polly launched out into one of her gayest and finest; and soon
they were in such a peal of laughter, and had reached such heights of
enjoyment, that Mr. King popped his head in at the door, and then came
in, and took a seat in a big rocking-chair in the corner to hear the fun
go on.

"Oh, dear," said Van, leaning back with a long sigh, and wiping his
flushed face as Polly wound up with a triumphant flourish, 'how ever do
you think of such things, Polly Pepper?

"That isn't anything," said Jappy, bringing his handsom