s, which no longer made me feel
discontented with my own, as nothing could be prettier, I was quite
firmly convinced, than grandmamma's beautiful work, which Sharley had
already admired in her own pleasant and hearty way.

We two got out of the pony-carriage, leaving grandmamma to be driven up
to the house by the groom, the little girls saying that their mother was
waiting for her on the lawn in front.

I had never seen the boys before. Percival seemed to me quite big,
though he was one year younger than Sharley and smaller for his age.
Quintin was more like Nan, slow and solemn and rather fat, so his
nickname of Quick certainly didn't suit him very well. But they were
both very nice and kind to me. I am quite sure Sharley had talked to
them well about it before I came, though it was easy to see that when
Pert was not on his best behaviour he was very fond of playing tricks.

I felt very happy, and not at all strange or frightened as I walked
along between Sharley and Val, each holding one of my hands and
chattering away about all we were going to do, though I had a queer,
rather nice feeling as if I must be in a dream, it all seemed so pretty
and wonderful.

And indeed many people, far better able to judge of such things than I,
think that Moor Court is one of the loveliest places in England. I did
not see much of the inside of the house that day, though I learnt to
know it well afterwards. It was very old and very large, and everything
about it seemed to me quite perfect. But on this day we amused ourselves
almost altogether out of doors.

[Illustration: Grandmamma's chair was still waiting to be decorated, so
the next hour was spent very happily.--p. 67.]

The children had already done a good deal to the arbour where we were to
have tea; but grandmamma's chair was still waiting to be decorated, so
the next hour was spent very happily in gathering branches of ivy and
other pretty green things to twine about it, with here and there a bunch
of flowers, which Mrs. Nestor had told the gardener we were to have.

Vallie was very anxious to make a wreath for grandmamma, but though I
thought it a very nice idea, I was afraid it would look rather funny,
and when Sharley reminded us that wreaths couldn't be worn very well
above a bonnet, we quite gave it up.

But we did make the table look very pretty, and at last everything was
ready, except the tea itself and the hot cakes, which of course the
servants would bring at