e so sharp and sour
over it--I should like him all the better. That's what you've got to
say to him, Jacob.'

Talking on in this way, half in jest and half in earnest, and cheering
up his mother, the children, and himself, by the one simple process of
determining to be in a good humour, Kit led them briskly forward; and
on the road home, he related what had passed at the Notary's house, and
the purpose with which he had intruded on the solemnities of Little
Bethel.

His mother was not a little startled on learning what service was
required of her, and presently fell into a confusion of ideas, of which
the most prominent were that it was a great honour and dignity to ride
in a post-chaise, and that it was a moral impossibility to leave the
children behind. But this objection, and a great many others, founded
on certain articles of dress being at the wash, and certain other
articles having no existence in the wardrobe of Mrs Nubbles, were
overcome by Kit, who opposed to each and every of them, the pleasure of
recovering Nell, and the delight it would be to bring her back in
triumph.

'There's only ten minutes now, mother,' said Kit when they reached
home. 'There's a bandbox. Throw in what you want, and we'll be off
directly.'

To tell how Kit then hustled into the box all sorts of things which
could, by no remote contingency, be wanted, and how he left out
everything likely to be of the smallest use; how a neighbour was
persuaded to come and stop with the children, and how the children at
first cried dismally, and then laughed heartily on being promised all
kinds of impossible and unheard-of toys; how Kit's mother wouldn't
leave off kissing them, and how Kit couldn't make up his mind to be
vexed with her for doing it; would take more time and room than you and
I can spare. So, passing over all such matters, it is sufficient to
say that within a few minutes after the two hours had expired, Kit and
his mother arrived at the Notary's door, where a post-chaise was
already waiting.

'With four horses I declare!' said Kit, quite aghast at the
preparations. 'Well you ARE going to do it, mother! Here she is, Sir.
Here's my mother. She's quite ready, sir.'

'That's well,' returned the gentleman. 'Now, don't be in a flutter,
ma'am; you'll be taken great care of. Where's the box with the new
clothing and necessaries for them?'

'Here it is,' said the Notary. 'In with it, Christopher.'

'All right, Sir,' replie