wo
girls up stairs to dress before going into the drawing-room with their
things on, and told Henrietta to remember that dinner would be at
half-past five.

"Is mamma gone up?" asked Henrietta.

"Yes, my dear, long ago; she has been out with your grandpapa, and is
gone to rest herself."

"And how long have you been at home, Fred?" said Queen Bee. "Why, you
have performed your toilette already! Why did you not come to meet us?"

"I should have had a long spy-glass to see which way you were gone,"
said Fred, in a tone which, to Henrietta's ears, implied that he was not
quite pleased, and then, following his sister up stairs, he went on to
her, "I wish I had never come in, but it was about three, and Alex and
Carey thought we might as well get a bit of something for luncheon, and
thereby they had the pleasure of seeing mamma send her pretty dear up to
change his shoes and stockings. So there was an end of me for the day.
I declare it is getting too absurd! Do persuade mamma that I am not made
of sugar candy."

With Uncle Geoffrey's admonitions fresh in her mind, these complaints
sounded painfully in Henrietta's ears, and she would gladly have soothed
away his irritation; but, however convenient Judith might find the
stairs for private conferences, they did not appear to her equally
appropriate, especially when at the very moment grandpapa was coming
down from above and grandmamma up from below. Both she and Fred
therefore retreated into their mamma's room, where they found her
sitting on a low stool by the fire, reading by its light one of the old
childish books, of which she seemed never to weary. Fred's petulance,
to do him justice, never could endure the charm of her presence, and his
brow was as bright and open as his sister's as he came forward, hoping
that she was not tired.

"Quite the contrary, thank you, my dear," said she, smiling; "I enjoyed
my walk exceedingly."

"A walk!" exclaimed Henrietta.

"A crawl, perhaps you would call it, but a delightful crawl it was with
grandpapa up and down what we used to call the sun walk, by the kitchen
garden wall. And now, Pussy-cat, Pussy-cat, where have you been?"

"I've been to Sutton Leigh, with the good Queen," answered Henrietta,
gaily. "I have seen everything--Sutton Leigh, and the Pleasance, and the
church! And, mamma, Mr. Franklin has asked us to go and dress the church
for Christmas! Is not that what of all things is delightful? Only think
of church-decki