pped them on the back with his riding-stick in a droll way. A long
line of blue and red wagons closed the cavalcade.

But prettiest of all was a little girl about ten years old, who rode in
the middle of the procession upon a lovely horse as white as milk. The
horse had not a single spot of dark color about him, and his trappings
of pale blue were so slight that they seemed like ribbons hung on his
graceful limbs. The little girl had hair of bright, pale yellow, which
fell to her waist in loose shining waves. She was small and slender, but
her color was like roses, and her blue eyes and sweet pink mouth smiled
every moment as she bent and swayed to the motion of the horse, which
she managed beautifully, though her bits of hands seemed almost too
small to grasp the reins. Her riding-dress of blue was belted and
buttoned with silver; a tiny blue cap with long blue plumes was on her
head; and altogether she seemed to Alice like a fairy princess, or one
of those girls in story-books who turn out to be kings' daughters or
something else remarkable.

"O Aunty! come here do come," cried Alice.

Just then the procession halted directly beneath the window. The
trumpeter took off his hat and made a low bow to Alice and her Aunt.
Then he blew a final blast, rose in his stirrups and began to speak.
Miss Flower opened the window that they might hear more distinctly. This
seemed to bring the pretty little girl on the horse nearer. She looked
up at Alice and smiled, and Alice smiled back at her.

This is what the trumpeter said:--

"Ladies and gentlemen,--I have the honor to announce to you the arrival
in Banbury of Signor James Currie's World-Renowned Circus and Grand
Unrivalled Troupe of Equestrian Performers, whose feats of equitation
and horsemanship have given unfeigned delight to all the courts of
Europe, her Majesty the Queen, and the nobility and gentry of this and
other countries. Among the principal attractions of this unrivalled
troupe are Mr. Vernon Twomley, with his famous trained steed Bucephalus;
Madame Orley, with her horse Chimborazo, who lacks only the gift of
speech to take a first class at the University of Oxford; M. Aristide,
the admired trapezeist; Goo-Goo, the unparalleled and side-splitting
clown; and last, but not least, Mademoiselle Mignon, the child
equestrienne, whose feats of agility are the wonder of the age! On
account of Mr. Currie's unprecedented press of engagements, his
appearance in Banbury is