en they did, however, there was no longer any room for doubt. Wild
laughter, and high-pitched voices singing many favorite nursery airs and
school-room songs made noise enough to reach the ears even of the
deafest. "John Peel" was having a frantic chorus as Helen and her aunt
ascended the step-ladder.

"For the sound of his horn brought me from my bed,
And the cry of his hounds which he ofttimes led,
Peel's 'View Hulloo!' would awaken the dead,
Or the fox from his lair in the morning."

"_Very_ nice, indeed," said Aunt Maria, as she burst open the garret
door. "Very nice and respectful to the memory of your dear mother! I am
glad, children, that I have come to create decent order in this
establishment. I am your aunt, Maria Cameron."

CHAPTER XV.

PUNISHMENT.

There are occasions when people who are accused wrongfully of a fault
will take it patiently: there was scarcely ever known to be a time when
wrongdoers did so.

The children in the garret were having a wild time of mirth and
excitement. There was no time for any one to think, no time for any one
to do aught but enjoy. The lateness of the hour, the stealthy gathering,
the excellent supper, and, finally, the gay songs, had roused the young
spirits to the highest pitch. Polly was the life of everything; Maggie,
her devoted satellite, had a face which almost blazed with excitement.

Her small eyes twinkled like stars, her broad mouth never ceased to show
a double row of snowy teeth. She revolved round her brothers and
sisters, whispering in their ears, violently nudging them, and piling on
the agony in the shape of cups of richly creamed and sugared tea, of
thick slices of bread-and-butter and jam, and plum cake, topped with
bumpers of foaming ginger-beer.

Repletion had reached such a pass in the case of the Ricketts brother
and sister that they could scarcely move; the Jones brothers were also
becoming slightly heavy-eyed; but the Maybright children fluttered about
here and there like gay butterflies, and were on the point of getting up
a dance when Aunt Maria and the frightened Helen burst upon the scene.

It required a much less acute glance than Aunt Maria's to point out
Polly as the ringleader. She headed the group of mirth-seekers, every
lip resounded with her name, all the other pairs of young eyes turned to
her. When the garret door was flung open, and Aunt Maria in no measured
tones announced herself, the children flew like frightened chi