Abbeychurch

the walking party were outside the front door, she began again. 'But, Rupert,

, 'it is your mamma and Liz

Helen; 'how can you frig

Elizabeth, ''tis his vocation

d cousin,' said Ruper

errifier of naughty children, the same as the chimney-sweeper in Engla

aby, he'

lack as Ro

s and sups,

on naught

ke's babe-bolting propensities, and his great black dog, that he

Rupert in Germany,' said Elizabeth; '

early so sublime as you would make it out. Keightley's Fairy Mythology says he is only our old friend Robin Good-fellow, Milt

gentleman as clumsy as the l

hob-nails in his s

ed, because his cream bowl was

ar as the Robin Redbr

at like him, and like H

said Elizabeth, gathering a

' said Rupert; 'now fo

ime,' said Elizabeth; 'we will keep prosody fo

ey walked along it, there was no lack of laughter or merriment in anyone but Helen, and she could find no amusement in anything she saw or heard. At last, however, she

aid Elizabeth, 'it is commo

Rupert, perfectly unconscious on what tender ground he was treading, said, 'If it is a lover of dam

, 'I am sure the garde

it is wet,' s

observed Rupert; 'I could not stir two steps from the door w

eauty, of dear Dykelands, commits high treason against Miss Helen Woodbourne; and as protecting disconsolate damsels is the bounden

an you?' said

hat so many old family houses shou

frogs,' said Rupert; unhappily rem

rivers or bogs, both for the sake of the fish, and to be useful in draining; but why any other morta

nd said, 'Pray, why, according to my theory, should not the human kind have once

urse of becoming stalwa

n?' said Elizabeth; 'you see both that propensity, and a love

ble neighbour, Mr. Turner, is a t

cious jewel,'

rd so much of, might have been dissected for the benefit of Mr. Turner's pupils, and thereupon arose a most wonderful whispering between Kate and one of your sweet cousi

sible!' cried Elizabet

ossible?'

said Elizabeth; 'was Mrs. Hazle

at of that?'

said Elizabeth, 'very nearly be

iting,' said Rupert; 'pray do not lea

d Elizabeth, not wishing to expose

s presented Fido to this noble Adolphus, as a pledge of the t

said Anne, trying to

hful heart, and wear it next his own. I never should have devised so refined and sent

when Anne recovered, she took her brother by the arm and whispered, 'Rupert, the less you say a

Rupert to gather for her some fine bulrushes which grew on the brink of the river. Rupert was very willing to comply with her request; but Eli

thought that Robert Bruce's calthorps could hardly have made the ground more uneven, and she was just going to say so, when Helen groaned out, 'What a horrid place! I slip and bruise my

is all up-hill

said Dora, who with Rupert's assistanc

eous a tone, that Rupert very good-naturedly waited

man, and began to make heavy complaints of the badness of the road, but no one paid much a

left, which he had told them to take. Harriet and Helen both declared that they had passed the turning; Katherine was sure they had not; and Elizabeth said that she had seen a turn to the right some way behind them, but that to the left was yet to come. As they could not agree upon t

Helen, according to the usual f

as if you were?' said her sister

; 'bringing me ever so far out of the way on such a road a

h, 'you are not in a fit s

hardly knew what she said, 'you will never condescend to hear what

nd turning away, 'it would indeed. I know

he wearied and heated damsels with intelligence, that 'there is no

g on merrily; Helen made several complaints of the heat and of the small size of her parasol; and Elizabeth had to catch Dora, and hold her fast, to prevent her from overheating herself by a race after Rupert through the stubble. At the first stile

red!' said Rupert; 'I am afraid

aid Dora, in so comical a tone, that Rupert, Katherine, and Har

required more forbearance than he possessed, to abstain from

Helen is a little cross,

e looks so,

ook when they are a

know,' ans

Rupert, mimicking poor Helen's wo

till more displeased. 'Dora,

' said Rupert; 'certa

versation, which was not very profitable to any of the parties concerned. Dora was rather a matter-of-fact little person, and a very good implement for teazing with,

r sorry to be checked in the

does not like

little girl rather further, 'do not you thi

not right or kind to say what vexes her, and I shall n

iscreet Dolly, ran away to Lu

piqued by a little girl of seven years old having shewn more right feeling and self-command than he had displa

than bearing malice and hatred in her heart, and she had resolved to cure herself of the habit. Then came her visit to Dykelands, where everything went on smoothly, and there was little temptation to give way to ill-humour, so that she had almost forgotten her reflections on the subject, till the present moment, when she seemed suddenly to wake and find herself in the midst of one of her old sullen moods. She struggled hard against it, and as acknowledging ill temper is one great step towards conquering it, she soon recovered sufficiently to admire the deep pink fruit of the skewer-wood, and the waxen looking red and yello

e matter?'

h, 'unless Rupert is hallooing

ded,' said Rupert; 'did you never hear how

said seve

heir stead, the jester's cap and bells, and bauble. Next morning when it was pitch dark, for it was the shortest day, up jumped the palmer, and prepared to resume his journey. Now it chanced that the day before, the lady had ordered that the fool should be whipped, for mocking her, when she could not get the marrow neatly out of a bone with her fingers, and peeped into it like a hungry magpie; so that the moment the poor palmer appeared in the court-yard, all the squires and pages set upon him, taking him for the fool, and whipped him round and round like any peg-top. Suddenly, down fell the cap and bells, and he saw what had been done; upon which he immediately turned into an enchanter, and

e ever found i

say,' answ

nly be reserved for the great Prin

aid Harriet; 'I thought everyone had forgotten such

ody believes them

a genuine old legend, it is really not according to the spirit of thos

ow everything bad is to be

visited the Holy Land, you cannot think them likely to learn the dark ri

id Rupert, 'and this may have been a ba

d the squires see either palmer

e lamps in the court

ll how the t

ale as 'twas

you, Rupert?

, cannot you see?' said Elizabeth; '

Ochiltree was nothing to you. Everyone was swallowing it so quie

compound of Red Mantle, the Sleeping Beauty, Robert of Paris, and Triermain,

ert, evidently vexed, but carrying it off with great good humour; 'y

rt,' said Anne; 'I cannot pity you, y

ips before such devotees

e? did you mean to say that you were like Monkbarns? I never heard that that gentleman

beheld a farmhouse at about a hundred yards before them. Rupert whistled long and loud

of incredulity from your eyes, and behold keep, drawbridge, t

ne built into the wall upside down, and the well-turned arch of the door-way. Some, putting on Don Quixote's eyes for the occasion, saw helmets in milk-pails, dungeons in cellars, battle-axes in bill-hooks, and shields in pewter-plates, called the

. She did not however forget her bulrushes, and when they came in sight of them, she ran forwards to claim Rupert's promise of gathering some for her and her little brother and sister. This was a service of difficulty, for some of the bulrushes grew in the water, and others on deceitful ground, where a p

id some of

I believe,'

Harriet, advancing cau

ulled her upon it safely, but it quaked fearfully; and there was hardly room for them both to stand on it, while Harriet, holding fast by Rupert's hand, bent forwards, beheld the object of her curiosity, uttered a loud scream, lost he

the matter?'

r little doggie!

t, there is no fear of your eating him in a

Fido?' said Katherin

'for if so, I advise you to make

t care. Can I have one more look?'

she had herself tied round his neck the day before, floating, a funeral banner, on the surface of the stream. She contemplated him until her weight and Rupert's

ensible of poor Fido's generous self-sacrifice; he immolated himself to remove,

of the frightful suspicions which attached to him,

nt

g into t

committ

self from s

case he would have lost his blue ribbon; Dora indignantly repelled the charge of cruelty from the youth of Abbeychurch; Elizabeth said such a puppy was ver

r; and during this dialogue the party divided, Harriet and Katherine walked on in close consultation, and

w the beloved Fido, petted and watched and nursed and guarded as he seems to ha

; 'we crossed the bridge twice yesterday evenin

d Rupert. 'Oh! I know; I saw the people coming away from a tee-total

you do contrive to get,

ought you all looked very queer at breakfast. I underst

rt,' said

really have, Lizzie and Anne,' cried Rupe

fit of laughter, which lasted longer than either his sister or cousin approved, and it was not till after he had

s soon as Mrs. Hazleby hears that Fido has been fo

then?' s

e will ask what took us there; I would not trust Harriet to tell the truth, and I have p

t ask her youngest

l tell her myself that Fido was found in the ri

ally fall into the river, for the sensation caused by Rupert's rescuing

ot submerged. I never could have guessed any fair lady could be so

ungallant!

rom a watery grave, I think I have interest enough with Mrs. Hazleby to be able

pert?' s

what friends Mrs. Hazleby and I have become. We ha

find to talk a

k. Of course we embarked in a genealogy of the whole Campbell race; then came a description of the beauties of Inchlitherock. Next I was favoured w

tion,' said

ow she came to

much; you must have i

with her brother, and there she encountered the Major. You, young ladies, may imagine how she

wondered how he chanced to fall into h

Rupert; 'she kindly employed the rest

them,' said Anne, who had by this tim

aid were thrown away upon me, ending with wise reflections upon the importance of a wise choice of a wife, especially for a young man of family, exposed to

eby in meeting with so sweet a creature as the charming Miss Barb

she might have possessed some of th

g had fixed her eyes in one perpetual stare,

shewed that Mrs. Woodbourne and her party had return

room, as well as Sir Edward,

you a prosperous j

in high good-humour, she did nothing but sing Rupert's pr

Miss Anne?' said Sir Edward;

e have been making about Mrs. Hazleby,' said Anne; 'I reall

t?' said S

Lizzie against her step-mother's relations,

Lizzie's opinion of them,' said Sir Edward, 'but certainly I sh

atastrophe,' said Anne; 'we have found

ne will be happy agai

re at the Mechanics' Institute,' said Anne; 'th

to go,' said Sir Edward; 'I t

en by a dispute between Lizzie and me

great authorities in history,' said Sir E

f the affair, considering the blunder that Lizzie told me Mrs. Tur

adness,' sai

Anne, 'do you not think Helen q

manners,' said Sir Edward; 'and I am quite willing t

n, 'or Mrs. Woodbourne will not think us improved i

urney home,' said Anne, 'when

n Radicalism, Miss,' said Sir Edward, with a f

e to find Mrs. Woodbourne. 'Well, Mamma,' said she, as soon as she

n, my dear?' sai

aid Elizabeth; 'we found him

nt will be very sorry,' was

ou may be quite easy about Winifred;

en in, poor little dog?

stitute,' said Elizabeth; 'it was all my fault, and I am afraid it is a very g

y dear,' said Mrs. Woodbourne, with a sigh; 'I am afraid your papa wi

eed,' said Elizabeth, covering her face

ot be angry with one who grieves so sincerely for what she has done amiss. I am sure you have learnt a useful lesson, and will be wiser in future.

all the blame which Mrs. Hazleby chose to ascribe to her, quietly communicated the fatal intelligence to Mrs. Hazleby. Her information was received with a s