to the children's entire content.

"Is this _our_ feast, Mr Enderby?" inquired Mary, finally, when Anna
had been sent to summon the company. "May we say it is ours?"

"To be sure," cried Fanny. "Whose else should it be?"

"It is all your own, I assure you," said Mr Enderby. "Now, you two
should stand at the head of the table, and Matilda at the foot."

"I think I had better take this place," said Sydney, who had made his
appearance, and who thought much better of the affair now that he saw
Mr Enderby so much interested in it. "There should always be a
gentleman at the bottom of the table."

"No, no, Sydney," protested Mr Enderby; "not when he has had no cost
nor trouble about the feast. March off. You are only one of the
company. Stand there, Matilda, and remember you must look very polite.
I shall hide behind the acacia there, and come in with the ladies."

A sudden and pelting shower was now falling, however; and instead of
hiding behind a tree, Mr Enderby had to run between the house and the
schoolroom, holding umbrellas over the ladies' heads, setting clogs for
them, and assuring Mrs Grey at each return that the feast could not be
deferred, and that nobody should catch cold. Mr Grey was on the spot;
to give his arm to Mrs Enderby, who had luckily chanced to look in,--a
thing which "she really never did after dinner." Mr Hope had been seen
riding by, and Mrs Grey had sent after him to beg he would come in.
Mr Rowland made a point of being present: and thus the summer-house was
quite full,--really crowded.

"I am glad Mrs Rowland keeps away," whispered Mrs Grey to Sophia.
"She would say it is insufferably hot."

"Yes; that she would. Do not you think we might have that window open?
The rain does not come in on that side. Did you ever see such a feast
as the children have got? I am sure poor Elizabeth and I never managed
such a one. It is really a pity Mrs Rowland should not see it. Mr
Rowland should have made her come. It looks so odd, her being the only
one to stay away!"

The room resounded with exclamations, and admiration, and grave jokes
upon the children. Notwithstanding all Uncle Philip could do, the
ingenuous little girls answered to every compliment--that Mr Enderby
brought his, and that that and the other came out of Uncle Philip's
pocket. They stood in their places, blushing and laughing, and served
out their dainties with hands trembling with delight.

Maria's pleasure was, as u