r, and get a better
glimpse of them all!"

If Laura's wishes pointed one way and her duty pointed the other, it was
a very sad thing how often she forgot to pause and consider which she
ought to follow; and on this occasion, as usual, she took the naughty
side of the question, and prepared to indulge her curiosity, though very
anxious that nothing might happen to displease her grandmama. She
observed at some distance on the terrace, a remarkably large thick
holly-bush, near which the great procession of company would probably
pass before long, therefore, hoping nobody could possibly see her there,
she stole hastily out of the garden, and concealed herself behind it;
but when children do wrong, in hopes of not being found out, they
generally find themselves mistaken, as Laura soon discovered to her
cost. It is very lucky, however, for the culprits, when they are
detected, that they may learn never to behave so foolishly again,
because the greatest misfortune that can happen to a child is, not to be
found out and punished when he does wrong.

A few minutes after Laura had taken her station behind the holly-bush,
crowds of ladies and officers came strolling along, so very near her
hiding-place, that she saw them all distinctly, and felt excessively
amused and delighted at first, to be perched like a bird in a tree
watching this grand party, while nobody saw her, nor guessed that she
was there. Presently, however, Laura became sadly frightened when an
officer in a scarlet coat happened to look towards the holly-bush, and
exclaimed, with some surprise,

"There is surely something very odd about that plant! I see large pink
spots between the leaves!"

"Oh no, Captain Digby, you are quite mistaken," answered one of the
ladies, dressed in a bright yellow bonnet and green pelisse. "I see
nothing particular there! only a common ugly bush of holly! I wonder you
ever thought of noticing it!"

"But, Miss Perceval! there certainly is something very curious behind!
I would bet five to one there is!" replied Captain Digby, stepping up,
close to the holly-bush, and peeping over: "What have we here! a ragged
little girl, I do believe! in a pink frock!"

Poor Laura was now in a terrible scrape; she started up immediately to
run away. Probably she never ran so fast in her life before, but Captain
Digby was a person who enjoyed a joke, so he called out

"Tally-ho! a race for a thousand pounds!"

Off set the Captain, and away f