er mind, Henrietta," shouted the good-natured Alexander, "I'll
engage to fish him out if he goes in."

"It is as likely I may fish you out, Mr. Alex," returned Fred, slightly
affronted.

"Or more likely still there will be no fishing in the case," said the
naughty little Syren, who felt all the time a secret satisfaction in the
consciousness that it was she who had made the temptation irresistible,
then adding, to pacify Henrietta and her own feelings of compunction,
"Aunt Mary must be satisfied when she hears with what exemplary patience
he waited till papa was past hope, and the pond past fear."

Whether Alex smiled at the words "past fear," or whether Fred only
thought he did, is uncertain, the effect was that he exclaimed, "I only
wish there was a place in this pond that you did not like to skate over,
Alex."

"Well, there is one," said Alex, laughing, "where Carey drowns the
travelling man: there is a spring there, and the ice is never so firm,
so you may try--"

"Don't, Fred--I beg you won't!" cried Beatrice.

"O, Fred, Fred, think, think, if anything should happen!" implored
Henrietta.

"I shan't look, I can't bear it!" exclaimed Jessie, turning away.

Fred without listening skated triumphantly towards the hedge, and across
the perilous part, and fortunately it was without disaster. In the
middle of the shout of applause with which the chorus celebrated his
achievement, a gate in the hedge suddenly opened, and the two uncles
stood before them. The first thing Uncle Geoffrey did was to take a
short run, and slide right across the middle of the pond, while Uncle
Roger stood by laughing and saying, "Well done, Geoffrey, you are not
quite so heavy as I am."

Uncle Geoffrey reaching the opposite side, caught up little Charley by
the arms and whirled him round in the air, then shouted in a voice
that had all the glee and blithe exultation of a boy just released
from school, "I hereby certify to all whom it may concern, the pond is
franked! Where's Fred?"

Fred wished himself anywhere else, and so did Henrietta. Even Queen
Bee's complacency gave way before her father, and it was only Alexander
who had spirit to answer, "We thought you were not coming at all."

"Indeed!" said Uncle Geoffrey; and little Willy exclaimed, "Why, Alex,
Uncle Geoffrey always comes when he promises," a truth to which every
one gave a mental assent.

Without taking the smallest notice of Frederick by word or look, Uncle
Geoffrey