lp believing Mr Christopher must be under a
mistake--which Kit wondered at very much, not being able to conceive
what reason she had for doubting him. Barbara's mother too, observed
that it was very common for young folks to change at about fourteen or
fifteen, and whereas they had been very pretty before, to grow up quite
plain; which truth she illustrated by many forcible examples,
especially one of a young man, who, being a builder with great
prospects, had been particular in his attentions to Barbara, but whom
Barbara would have nothing to say to; which (though everything happened
for the best) she almost thought was a pity. Kit said he thought so
too, and so he did honestly, and he wondered what made Barbara so
silent all at once, and why his mother looked at him as if he shouldn't
have said it.

However, it was high time now to be thinking of the play; for which
great preparation was required, in the way of shawls and bonnets, not
to mention one handkerchief full of oranges and another of apples,
which took some time tying up, in consequence of the fruit having a
tendency to roll out at the corners. At length, everything was ready,
and they went off very fast; Kit's mother carrying the baby, who was
dreadfully wide awake, and Kit holding little Jacob in one hand, and
escorting Barbara with the other--a state of things which occasioned
the two mothers, who walked behind, to declare that they looked quite
family folks, and caused Barbara to blush and say, 'Now don't, mother!'
But Kit said she had no call to mind what they said; and indeed she
need not have had, if she had known how very far from Kit's thoughts
any love-making was. Poor Barbara!

At last they got to the theatre, which was Astley's: and in some two
minutes after they had reached the yet unopened door, little Jacob was
squeezed flat, and the baby had received divers concussions, and
Barbara's mother's umbrella had been carried several yards off and
passed back to her over the shoulders of the people, and Kit had hit a
man on the head with the handkerchief of apples for 'scrowdging' his
parent with unnecessary violence, and there was a great uproar. But,
when they were once past the pay-place and tearing away for very life
with their checks in their hands, and, above all, when they were fairly
in the theatre, and seated in such places that they couldn't have had
better if they had picked them out, and taken them beforehand, all this
was looked up