sual, in observing all that went on.

She could do this while replying, quite to the purpose, to Mrs
Enderby's praise of her management of the dear children, and to George's
pressing offers of cake; and to Mr Rowland's suspicions that the
children would never have accomplished this achievement without her, as
indeed he might say of all their achievements; and to Anna's entreaty
that she would eat a pink comfit, and then a yellow one, and then a
green one; and to Mrs Grey's wonder where she could have put away all
her books and things, to make so much room for the children. She could
see Mr Hope's look of delight when Margaret declined a cup of
chocolate, and said she preferred tasting some of the cowslip-tea. She
saw how he helped Mary to pour out the tea, and how quietly he took the
opportunity of getting rid of it through the window behind Margaret,
when she could not pretend to say that she liked it. She observed Mr
Rowland's somewhat stiff politeness to Hester, and Mr Enderby's equal
partition of his attentions between the two sisters. She could see Mrs
Grey watching every strawberry and sugar-plum that went down the throats
of the little Rowlands, and her care, seconded by Sophia's, that her own
children should have an exactly equal portion of the good things. She
believed, but was not quite sure, that she saw Hester's colour and
manner change as Mr Hope came and went, in the course of his service
about the table; and that once, upon receiving some slight attention
from him, she threw a hasty glance towards her sister, and turned quite
away upon meeting her eye.

The rain had not prevented the servants from trying to amuse themselves
with witnessing the amusement of the family. They were clustered
together under umbrellas at the window nearest the stables, where they
thought they should be least observed. Some commotion took place among
them, at the same moment that an extraordinary sound became audible,
from a distance, above the clatter of plates, and the mingling of
voices, in the summer-house.

"What in the world is that noise?" asked Margaret.

"Only somebody killing a pig," replied Sydney, decidedly.

"Do not believe him," said Mr Enderby. "The Deerbrook people have
better manners than to kill their pigs in the hearing of ladies on
summer afternoons."

"But what is it? It seems coming nearer."

"I once told you," said Mr Enderby, "that we possess an inhabitant,
whose voice you might know befo