"When Britain first at Heaven's command said, 'Boatswain,
do not tarry;
The despot's heel is on thy shore, and while ye may, go marry.'
Let dogs delight to bark and bite the British Grenadiers,
Lars Porsena of Clusium lay dying in Algiers!

"Old Grimes is dead! Ring out, wild bells! And shall Trelawney die?
Then twenty thousand Cornishmen are comin' thro' the rye!
The Blessed Damozel leaned out,--she was eight years old _she said_!
Lord Lovel stood at his castle gate, whence all but him had fled.

"Rise up, rise up, Xarifa! Only three grains of corn!
Stay, Lady, stay! for mercy's sake! and wind the bugle horn.
The glittering knife descends--descends--Hark, hark, the foeman's
cry!
The world is all a fleeting show! Said Gilpin, 'So am I!'

"The sea! the sea! the open sea! Roll on, roll on, thou deep!
Maxwelton braes are bonny, but Macbeth hath murdered sleep!
Answer me, burning shades of night! what's Hecuba to me?
Alone stood brave Horatius! The boy--oh, where was he?"

"Oh, Father!" cried Marjorie, as Mr. Maynard finished, "did you really
make that up? Or did you find it in a book?"

But Mr. Maynard wouldn't tell, and only accepted the praise heaped upon
him, with a foolish smirk, like an embarrassed schoolboy.

"Now, children, school is out," said Midget, "and it's about luncheon
time. So go and tidy yourselves up to come to the table. You're always
sending us to tidy up, Mother, so now you can see what a nuisance it is!
Run along, and come back as quickly as you can, for luncheon is nearly
ready."

The four grown-ups went away to tidy up, and King and Midget made
further plans for this new game. It was still raining, so there was no
hope of going motoring, and they concluded they were having enough fun
at home to make up for it.

But when the four "children" returned, they looked at them a moment in
silent astonishment, and then burst into shrieks of laughter.

Mr. Maynard and Mr. Bryant had transformed themselves into boys, by
brushing their hair down very wet and straight, and wearing large, round
collars made of white paper, and tied with enormous bows. They looked
funny enough, but the two ladies were funnier still. Mrs. Maynard had
her hair in two long pigtails tied with huge ribbons, and Cousin Ethel
had her hair in bunches of curls, also tied with big bows. They both
wore white bib aprons, and carried foolish-looking