wards without anything going wrong; and it was
quite pleasant to see such learning of lessons, such attention to rules,
and such obedience to Mrs. Crabtree, as went on in the nursery during
several weeks. At last, one day, when Lady Harriet and Major Graham were
preparing to set off on a journey, and to pay a short visit at Holiday
House, Laura and Harry observed a great deal of whispering and talking
in a corner of the room, but they could not exactly discover what it was
all about, till Major Graham said very earnestly, "I think we might
surely take Laura with us."

"Yes," answered Lady Harriet, "both the children have been invited, and
are behaving wonderfully well of late, but Lord Rockville has such a
dislike to noise, that I dare not venture to take more than one at a
time. Poor Laura has a very severe cough, so she may be recovered by
change of air. As for Harry, he is quite well, and therefore he can stay
at home."

Now, Harry thought it very hard that he was to be left at home, merely
because he felt quite well, so he immediately wished to be very ill
indeed, that he might have some chance of going to Holiday House; but
then he did not exactly know how to set about it. At all events, Harry
determined to catch a cold like Laura's, without delay. He would not,
for the whole world have pretended to suffer from a cough if he really
had none, because uncle David had often explained that making any one
believe an un-truth was the same as telling a lie; but he thought there
might be no harm in really getting such a terrible cold, that nothing
could possibly cure it except change of air, and a trip to Holiday
House with Laura. Accordingly Harry tried to remember every thing that
Mrs. Crabtree had forbid him to do "for fear of catching cold." He
sprinkled water over his shirt collar in the morning before dressing,
that it might be damp; he ran violently up and down stairs to put
himself in a heat, after which he sat between the open window and door
till he felt perfectly chilled; and when going to bed at night, he
washed his hair in cold water without drying it. Still, all was in vain!
Harry had formerly caught cold a hundred times when he did not want one;
but now, such a thing was not to be had for love or money. Nothing
seemed to give him the very slightest attempt at a cough; and when the
day at last arrived for Lady Harriet to begin her journey, Harry still
felt himself most provokingly well. Not so much as a fing