he added warningly. "Be off, out of this window,
and let Ethel and me read in peace."

"Here's the place," said Ethel--"Crispin, Crispian's day. How I do like
Henry V."

"It is no use to try to keep those boys in order!" sighed Miss Winter.

"Saturnalia, as papa calls Saturday," replied Flora.

"Is not your eldest brother coming home to-day?" said Miss Winter in a
low voice to Flora, who shook her head, and said confidentially, "He
is not coming till he has passed that examination. He thinks it better
not."

Here entered, with a baby in her arms, a lady with a beautiful
countenance of calm sweetness, looking almost too young to be the mother
of the tall Margaret, who followed her. There was a general hush as she
greeted Miss Winter, the girls crowding round to look at their little
sister, not quite six weeks old.

"Now, Margaret, will you take her up to the nursery?" said the
mother, while the impatient speech was repeated, "Mamma, can we go to
Cocksmoor?"

"You don't think it will be too far for you?" said the mother to Miss
Winter as Margaret departed.

"Oh, no, not at all, thank you, that was not--But Margaret has
explained."

"Yes, poor Margaret," said Mrs. May, smiling. "She has settled it by
choosing to stay at home with me. It is no matter for the others, and he
is going on Monday, so that it will not happen again."

"Margaret has behaved very well," said Miss Winter.

"She has indeed," said her mother, smiling. "Well, Harry, how is the
caterpillar?"

"They've just capsized it, mamma," answered Harry, "and Mary is making
all taut."

Mrs. May laughed, and proceeded to advise Ethel and Norman to put away
Henry V., and find the places in their Bibles, "or you will have the
things mixed together in your heads," said she.

In the meantime Margaret, with the little babe, to-morrow to be her
godchild, lying gently in her arms, came out into the matted hall, and
began to mount the broad shallow-stepped staircase, protected by low
stout balusters, with a very thick, flat, and solid mahogany hand-rail,
polished by the boys' constant riding up and down upon it. She was only
on the first step, when the dining-room door opened, and there came out
a young man, slight, and delicate-looking, with bright blue eyes, and
thickly-curling light hair. "Acting nurse?" he said, smiling. "What
an odd little face it is! I didn't think little white babies were so
pretty! Well, I shall always consider myself as the real