g up and down the house, round and round the
garden, visiting every pet or haunt or contrivance; Mary and Harry at
the head, Blanche and Tom in full career after them, and Aubrey stumping
and scrambling at his utmost speed, far behind.

Not a word passed between Norman and Harry on the school misadventure,
but, after the outbreak of the latter, he treated it as a thing
forgotten, and brought all his high spirits to enliven the family party.
Richard, too, returned later on the same day, and though not received
with the same uproarious joy as Harry, the elder section of the family
were as happy in their way as what Blanche called the middle-aged. The
Daisy was brought down, and the eleven were again all in the same room,
though there were suppressed sighs from some, who reflected how long it
might be before they could again assemble.

Tea went off happily in the garden, with much laughing and talking.
"Pity to leave such good company!" said the doctor, unwillingly rising
at last--"but I must go to the Union--I promised Ward to meet him
there."

"Oh, let me walk with you!" cried Harry.

"And me!" cried other voices, and the doctor proposed that they should
wait for him in the meads, and extend the walk after the visit. Richard
and Ethel both expressing their intention of adhering to Margaret--the
latter observing how nice it would be to get rid of everybody, and have
a talk.

"What have we been doing all this time?" said Dr. May, laughing.

"Chattering, not conversing," said Ethel saucily.

"Ay! the Cocksmoor board is going to sit," said Dr. May.

"What is a board?" inquired Blanche, who had just come down prepared for
her walk.

"Richard, Margaret, and Ethel, when they sit upon Cocksmoor," said Dr.
May.

"But Margaret never does sit on Cocksmoor, papa."

"Only allegorically, Blanche," said Norman.

"But I don't understand what is a board?" pursued Blanche.

"Mr. May in his ship," was Norman's suggestion.

Poor Blanche stood in perplexity. "What is it really?"

"Something wooden headed," continued the provoking papa.

"A board is all wooden, not only its head," said Blanche.

"Exactly so, especially at Stoneborough!" said the doctor.

"It is what papa is when he comes out of the council-room," added Ethel.

"Or what every one is while the girls are rigging themselves," sighed
Harry. "Ha! here's Polly--now we only want Flora."

"And my stethoscope! Has any one seen my stethoscope!" exclaimed the
doc