rey, that was too cruel!"

"No," returned Aubrey; "she was Iphigenia, going to be sacrificed."

"Mary unconsciously acted Diana," said Ethel, "and bore the victim
away."

"Pray, was Daisy a willing Clytemnestra?" asked Meta.

"Oh, yes, she liked it," said Aubrey, while Meta looked discomfited.

"I never could get proper respect paid to dolls," said Margaret; "we
deal too much in their natural enemies."

"Yes," said Ethel, "my only doll was like a heraldic lion, couped in all
her parts."

"Harry and Tom once made a general execution," said Flora; "there was a
doll hanging to every baluster--the number made up with rag."

George Rivers burst out laughing--his first sign of life; and Meta
looked as if she had heard of so many murders.

"I can't help feeling for a doll!" she said. "They used to be like
sisters to me. I feel as if they were wasted on children, that see no
character in them, and only call them Dolly."

"I agree with you," said Margaret. "If there had been no live dolls,
Richard and I should have reared our doll family as judiciously as
tenderly. There are treasures of carpentry still extant, that he made
for them."

"Oh, I am so glad!" cried Meta, as if she had found another point of
union. "If I were to confess--there is a dear old Rose in the secret
recesses of my wardrobe. I could as soon throw away my sister--"

"Ha!" cried her brother, laying hold of the child, "here, little Daisy,
will you give your doll to Meta?"

"My name is Gertrude Margaret May," said the little round mouth. The
fat arm was drawn back, with all a baby's dignity, and the rosy face was
hidden in Dr. May's breast, at the sound of George Rivers's broad laugh
and "Well done, little one!"

Dr. May put his arm round her, turned aside from him, and began talking
to Meta about Mr. Rivers.

Flora and Norman made conversation for the brother; and he presently
asked Norman to go out shooting with him, but looked so amazed on
hearing that Norman was no sportsman that Flora tried to save the family
credit by mentioning Hector's love of a gun, which caused their guest to
make a general tender of sporting privileges; "Though," added he, with a
drawl, "shooting is rather a nuisance, especially alone."

Meta told Ethel, a little apart, that he was so tired of going out
alone, that he had brought her here, in search of a companion.

"He comes in at eleven o'clock, poor fellow, quite tired with solitude,"
said she, "and comes to me