limited to a single performance, which will
take place this evening under the Company's magnificent tent, in the
Market Place, behind the old cross. Come one, come all! Performances to
begin at eight precisely. Admission, one-and-sixpence. Children under
ten years of age, half price. God save the Queen."

Having finished this oration, the trumpeter bowed once more to the
window, blew another blast, and rode on, followed by all the procession;
the little girl on the white horse giving Alice a second smile as she
moved away. For awhile the toot, toot, toot of the trumpet could be
heard from down the street. Then the sounds grew fainter. At last they
died in distance, and all was quiet as it had been before.

Alice was sorry to have them go. But the interruption had done her good
by taking her thoughts away from the rain and the lost picnic. She could
think and talk of nothing now except the gay riders, and especially the
pretty little girl on the white horse.

"Wasn't she sweet?" she asked her Aunt. "And didn't she ride
_beau_tifully. I wish I could ride like that. And what a pretty name,
Mademoiselle Mignon! It must be very nice to belong to a circus, I
think."

"I'm afraid that Mademoiselle Mignon does not always find it so nice,"
remarked Miss Flower.

"O Aunty, what makes you say so? She looks as if she were perfectly
happy! Didn't you see her laugh when the clown stole the other man's cap
from his head? And such a dear horse as she was riding! I never saw such
a dear horse in all my life. I wish I had one just like him."

"It _was_ a beauty. So perfectly white."

"Wasn't it! O Aunty, don't you wish Papa would take you and me to the
performance? There will only be one, you know, because Mr. Currie has
such un--un--unpresidential engagements. I mean to ask Papa if he won't.
There he is now! I hear his key in the door. May I run down and ask him,
Aunty?"

"Yes, indeed--"

Downstairs ran Alice.

"O Papa!" she cried, "_did_ you meet the Circus? It was the most
wonderful Circus, Papa. Just like a story-book. And such a dear little
girl on a white horse! Won't you please take me to see it, Papa--and
Aunty too? We both want to go very much. It's only here for one night,
the man said."

"We'll see," said the Mayor, taking off his coat. Alice danced with
pleasure when she heard this "we'll see," for with Papa "we'll see"
meant almost always the same thing as "yes." Alice was an only child,
and a petted one, and