emeanour. His head seemed
entirely full of the Thursday, and of a plan of his own for enabling
Charles to go to the review. It had darted into his head while he was
going over the ground with Maurice. It was so long since Charles had
thought it possible to attempt any amusement away from home, and former
experiments had been so unsuccessful, that it had never even occurred
to him to think of it; but he caught at the idea with great delight and
eagerness. Mrs. Edmonstone seemed not to know what to say; she had much
rather that it had not been proposed; yet it was very kind of Guy, and
Charles was so anxious about it that she knew not how to oppose him.

She could not bear to have Charles in a crowd, helpless as he was; and
she had an unpleasing remembrance of the last occasion when they had
taken him to a flower-show, where they had lost, first Mr. Edmonstone,
next the carriage, and lastly, Amy and Charlotte--all had been
frightened, and Charles laid up for three days from the fatigue.

Answers, however, met each objection. Charles was much stronger; Guy's
arm would be ready for him; Guy would find the carriage. Philip would
be there to help, besides Maurice; and whenever Charles was tired, Guy
would take him home at once, without spoiling any one's pleasure.

'Except your own,' said Mrs. Edmonstone.

'Thank you; but this would be so delightful.'

'Ah!' said Charles, 'it would be as great a triumph as the dog's that
caught the hare with the clog round his neck--the dog's, I mean.'

'If you will but trust me with him,' said Guy, turning on her all the
pleading eloquence of his eyes, 'you know he can get in and out of the
pony-carriage quite easily.'

'As well as walk across the room,' said Charles.

'I would drive him in it, and tell William to ride in and be at hand to
hold the pony or take it out; and the tent is so near, that you could
get to the breakfast, unless the review had been enough for you. I
paced the distance to make sure, and it is no further than from the
garden-door to the cherry-tree.'

'That is nothing,' said Charles.

'And William shall be in waiting to bring the pony the instant you are
ready, and we can go home independently of every one else.'

'I thought,' interposed Mrs. Edmonstone, 'that you were to go to the
mess-dinner--what is to become of that?'

'O,' said Charles, 'that will be simply a bore, and he may rejoice to be
excused from going the whole hog.'

'To be sure, I had rathe