yes as she looked at him with one of her old,
shy, childish glances, as if not quite sure how he would take
her apology. He could not help smiling in answer, then laughed
outright, and turned away abruptly.

"Come here, then Jack, and I will give you a ride," he said,
lifting the boy on to his shoulder. "This is the way we hunt
buffaloes."

Half-an-hour later, Maria, just come in from the village,
looked into the nursery, attracted by the shouts and laughter.
"It is really very odd," she said afterwards to Mrs. Vavasour,
in a somewhat aggrieved tone, "that when Horace always
declares he cannot find time to walk with me, or even to talk
to me, he should spend half his morning romping with the
children in the nursery." And Mrs. Vavasour, who had also gone
upstairs with Madge and Harry when they had finished their
lessons, had not much to say in answer.

CHAPTER IV.

Ich kann nicht hin!

One day, Madelon said to Mrs. Vavasour, "Please let me have
all the children for a walk this afternoon."

"What, all! my dear girl," said Mrs. Vavasour; "you don't know
what you are undertaking."

"Oh, yes, I do," Madelon answered, smiling; "they will be very
good, I know, and Madge will help me."

So they all set out for their walk, through the garden, and
out at the gate that led at once into the fields which
stretched beyond. They walked one by one along the narrow
track between the springing corn, a little flock of brown-
holland children, and Madelon last of all, in her fresh grey
spring dress. Harry had a drum, and marched on in front,
drubbing with all his might; and Jack followed, brandishing a
sword, and blowing a tin trumpet. Madge would have stopped
this horrible din, which indeed scared away the birds to right
and left, but Madelon only laughed and said she liked it.

Graham, coming across the fields in another direction, saw the
little procession advancing towards him, and waited on the
other side of a stile till it should come up. The children
tumbled joyfully over into Uncle Horace's arms, and were at
once ready with a hundred plans for profiting by the unwonted
pleasure of having him for a companion in their walk; but he
distinctly declined all their propositions, and sending them
on in front with Madge, walked along at Madelon's side.

"Why do you plague yourself with all these children," he said,
"instead of taking a peaceable walk in peaceable society?"

"I like the children," she answered, "and I s