than Rollo."

"Ha!" exclaimed Rollo, "I could take care of you perfectly well. I could
buy the tickets and show you down to supper, and help you over the plank
at the landings, and every thing else."

Rollo's experience of steamer life had been confined to trips on Long
Island Sound, or up and down the Hudson River.

"I suppose you would be dreadfully sick on the way," said Mr. George.

"O, no," said Rollo, "I should not be sick. What's the use of being
sick? Besides, I never _am_ sick in a steamboat."

"No," said Jane, shaking her head and looking quite anxious; "I should
not dare to go with you at all. I should not _dare_ to go unless my
mother were here to go with me; or my father, at least."

"I am afraid you will have to go," said Mr. George, "whether you are
afraid to or not."

"That I shall have to go?" repeated Jane.

"Yes," replied Mr. George. "Your father has written me that he is not
well enough to come home, and I am to send you and Rollo out in the next
steamer. So that you see you have nothing to say or to do about it. All
you have to do is to submit to destiny."

Jane did not know very precisely what was meant by the phrase,
_submitting to destiny_; but she understood very well that, in this
case, it meant that she must go to England to join her father and
mother, whether she liked the plan or not. She was silent a moment, and
looked very thoughtful. She then put forth her hand to her kitten, which
was just at that moment coming out of the cage, having finished drinking
the milk which she had put there for it, and took it into her lap,
saying at the same time,--

"Well, then I will go; only you must let me take my Tiger with me."

"That you can do," said Mr. George. "I am very willing to compromise the
matter with you in that way. You can take Tiger with you, if you
choose."

"And the cage too?" said Jane, putting her hand upon the ring at the top
of it.

"Yes," said Mr. George, "and the cage too."

"Well!" said Jane, speaking in a tone of great satisfaction and
joyousness, "then I will go. Get into the cage, Tiger, and we'll go and
get ready."

* * * * *

The steamer was to sail in about a week from this time. So Mr. George
proceeded immediately to New York to engage passage. When Rollo's aunt,
who had had the care of him and Jane during the absence of Mr. and Mrs.
Holiday, heard how soon the steamer would sail, she said that she did
not think that that