ed by his father: "Geoffrey,
I put those papers on the table in the study, if you will look over them
when you have time, and tell me what you think of the turnpike trust."

A few moments after the door was thrown wide open, and in burst three
boys, shouting with one voice--"Uncle Geoffrey, Uncle Geoffrey, you must
come and see which of Vixen's puppies are to be saved!"

"Hush, hush, you rogues, hush!" was Uncle Geoffrey's answer; "don't you
know that you are come into civilized society? Aunt Mary never saw such
wild men of the woods."

"All crazy at the sight of Uncle Geoffrey," said grandmamma. "Ah, he
spoils you all! but, come here, Johnny, come and speak to your aunt.
There, this is Johnny, and here are Richard and Willie," she added, as
they came up and awkwardly gave their hands to their aunt and cousins.

Henrietta was almost bewildered by seeing so many likenesses of
Alexander. "How shall I ever know them apart?" said she to Beatrice.

"Like grandmamma's nest of teacups, all alike, only each one size below
another," said Beatrice. "However, I don't require you to learn them all
at once; only to know Alex and Willie from the rest. Here, Willie, have
you nothing to say to me? How are the rabbits?"

Willie, a nice-looking boy of nine or ten years old, of rather slighter
make than his brothers, and with darker eyes and hair, came to Queen
Bee's side, as if he was very glad to see her, and only slightly
discomposed by Henrietta's neighbourhood.

John gave the information that papa and Alex were only just behind, and
in another minute they made their appearance. "Good morning sir; good
morning, ma'am," were Uncle Roger's greetings, as he came in. "Ah, Mary,
how d'ye do? glad to see you here at last; hope you are better.---Ah,
good morning, good morning," as he quickly shook hands with the younger
ones. "Good morning, Geoffrey; I told Martin to take the new drill into
the outfield, for I want your opinion whether it is worth keeping."

And thereupon the three gentlemen began a learned discussion on drills,
during which Henrietta studied her uncle. She was at first surprised to
see him look so young--younger, she thought, than Uncle Geoffrey; but
in a moment or two she changed her mind, for though mental labour had
thinned and grizzled Uncle Geoffrey's hair, paled his cheek, and traced
lines of thought on his broad high brow, it had not quenched the light
that beamed in his eyes, nor subdued the joyous merriment