The Long Vacation

rthmates, gladden

nions of our

your kisses, s

woven over won

me into the drawing-room of St. Andrew's Rock at Rockq

say, Cherry, how will you stand this? Till I saw you in thi

, and ugly," Mrs. Grinstead answered with imitative inflections, which set Anna Vanderkis

t in time, I could have grat

vering. "The reflection that but for her the poor native

aestheticism, but those curtains have done their own fading in pleasing shades, that good old sofa can be lain upon, and there's a real comfortable cra

der when she turned

g what was

hings and make it nice," entreated A

Uncle Clement, he would never see whether he was in a hermit's

ce that had long been absent, and Anna l

" said Lance, as she set of

t hear of the char

as better. There's a whole hive of Merrifields to make merry with her; and, by the bye, Cherry

ittle Felix?

booked for our

good for any of you, excep

are ready for a public school I had rather they were among our own people. No, Cherry, I can't do it, I can't giv

n't w

ly have flogged him once," said La

ud you a

ve said, 'Go it, boys.' It was not till afterwards that it turned out that Joan was too loyal not t

ian's b

to be schooled at Mrs. Edgar's, boarded by you, mothered by Anna, and altogether saved from bein

s mother

entirely in Cl

be another worr

er his own eye; and Anna will think it bliss to have him, though what it may

t as furze and thistles are to a donkey, so ar

ows in bed, showed himself highly grateful

at poor boy has been very much on my mind. Thi

ake me dread him. Yo

ding and thinking to make up. I have done no more th

hink, provided it is nothing m

tter to Alda," giv

o the purpos

able," he said. "Don't appe

here's no place for you to sit in, and the east wind is not grea

ready then; meantime, thos

o the drawing-room, where she found Anna exulting in the decorations

nd table, and the Liberty rugs, and the casts of St. Cecilia and little St.

let us get too dependent on pretty things. T

uxury? Is it not right to try

know, m

ow!" excl

hat is regard to whatever things are lovely. I believe the principle is really in each c

a high object not to alienate Gerald, as would

nly fashion," said her aunt, who meantime was moving about, a

he things then?"

e. There is nothing so comfortable here. But I have news for you. What do yo

icious!" cried the sister, s

whom he would give most troubl

hild he is! You didn't see him driving all

interrupted by Marshall, the polite, patronizing butler, bringing in a card. Miss Mohun would be gl

little spinster, whose whole life had been work, and the far younger widow, w

not going to be

one's breath away. Bu

s of inquiry and ans

ning to see you, after a

d. This is not quite

sure you would not

o afternoon visitors yet, and we have

ransformed

Anna

y and by at tea. Gillian would call for her at four o'clock, and sh

tor had tripped out. "I never quite understood he

ed, Annie. Which worried

ck, "I prefer an aunt to be wai

Stork? To be poked

f in the midst of a garland of bright girls. She was a contrast to them, with her fair Underwood complexion, her short plump Vanderkist figure, and the mour

is way to inquire for Mr. Underwood, and as he looked as if he expected a reply from Miss Vanderkist, sh

tingtonia for a little while, but broke down. There's no remembering all the cura

one. You begin t

t where

e old chapel at Clipstone, where Mr. Brownlow comes for

nother

preach to us? Mr. Brownlow says

stood

Clement for the next six months, or they will des

awful p

great hotel, and next beyond is Aunt Jane's, Beechcroft. On beyond, where you see that queer tower, is Cliff House

, between two copper beeches, while Anna listened to the merry tongues, almost bewildered by the chatter, so unlike the s

t Vale Leston. My sisters always tell me

d her in Miss Mohun's drawing-room-four Merrifields, ranging from twenty-two t

-trap?" presently asked nu

hat she would drag i

it be?"

iety," was the lucid answer. "Gillian

"My uncle is very far from well, and I have a good deal to do in the way of

aid Gillian. "Fergus said he was one of t

to him," said Mysie, "and Aunt Jane

"Adrian is much more manly. You sh

arent. However, it was fixed that Anna should attend the M

Erl King,"

o late in the

father and his

ed her sister Gillian. "

odied mine,

so late in a sh

old father a-hu

go

t the Erl King's daughter is a

a tanner and m

palace was set

zed, others laughed as much or

if any one does anything extraordinarily good in

an that," said Gillian. "W

the school board-n

ta!" cried the

w school for the out-liers of St. Kenelm's, or 'my lords' w

ntic about it," s

rd worries!" exclaimed Anna. "They

, and a concert, and all sorts

s! Oh

hey are in the diction

ot heard the rules of

"Members of the Mouse-trap never utter slang expressions

er a live bird or a

iss Smiths have been making all the winter-circles of pheasants'

, since peacocks don't die, and drak

e ever so long," said Mysie. "Aunt Jane

other people's bad work, and spends the evening in stitching

Valetta, but Gillian me

eller here is a school-board man, all on the wrong side, and when I tried to feel our way, he

is gone home," said Anna. "He

u not wri

want to see a specimen befo

xt occasion, and Miss Mohun coming home, and tea coming in, the

ger and terror enough to bring out her real character, and at the same time to cause an amount of intimacy with a young lady visitor little older than herself, which had suddenly developed into a second marriage of her father. In this state of things she had gladly availed herself of the home offered her at Clipstone, and had go

class of them for reading and working. Dolores had been asked to tell first Aunt Jane's G. F. S. (Girl's Friendly Society) girls, and afterwards Mrs. Henderson's, about her New Zealand experiences and the earthquake, and this developed into regular weekly lect

Captain Henderson, and Theodore was still in the choir at St. Matthew's. Maura had become the darling of Mr. White, and was much beloved by Mrs. White, though there had been a little alarm the previous year, when Lord Rotherwood and his son came down to open a public

. It might be doubted if he could have succeeded. He had apparently less brain power than some of the family, and he certainly would not exert what he had. His mother had dragged him through holiday tasks; but nobody else could attempt to make him work when at home, and Gillian's offers had been received with mo