too much! pray do get another!"

This long-continued attack upon her egg was too much for Laura's
gravity, who appeared for some minutes to have a violent fit of
coughing, and ending in a burst of laughter, after which she hastily
finished all that remained of it, and thus ended the discussion.

In the midst of all their happiness, while the children thought that
every succeeding day had no fault but being too short, and Harry even
planned with Peter to stop the clock altogether, and see whether time
itself would not stand still, nobody ever thought for a moment of
anything but joy; and yet a very sad and sudden distress awaited Mrs.
Darwin. One forenoon she received a letter that seemed very hastily and
awkwardly folded,--the seal was all to one side, and surrounded with
stray drops of red wax,--the direction appeared sadly blotted, and at
the top was written in large letters, the words, "To be delivered
immediately."

When Mrs. Darwin hurriedly tore open this very strange-looking letter,
she found that it came from her own housekeeper in town, to announce the
dreadful event that her sister, Lady Barnet, had been that day seized
with an apoplectic fit, and was thought to be at the point of death,
therefore it was hoped that Mrs. Darwin would not lose an hour in
returning to town, that she might be present on the melancholy occasion.
The shock of hearing this news was so very great, that poor Mrs. Darwin
could not speak about it, but after trying to compose herself for a few
minutes, she went into the play-room, and told the children that, for
reasons she could not explain, they must get ready to return home in an
hour, when the car would be at the door for their journey.

Nothing could exceed their surprise on hearing Mrs. Darwin make such an
unexpected proposal. At first Peter Grey thought she was speaking in
jest, and said he would prefer if she ordered out a balloon to travel
in, this morning; but when it appeared that Mrs. Darwin was really in
earnest about their pleasant visit being over so soon, Harry's face grew
perfectly red with passion, while he said in a loud angry voice,

"Grandmama allowed me to stay here till Friday!--and I was invited to
stay,--and I will not go anywhere else!"

"Oh fie, Master Harry!" said Mrs. Crabtree. "Do not talk so! You ought
to know better! I shall soon teach you, however, to do as you are bid!"

Saying these words, she stretched out her hand to seize violent hold of
him, b