at
the door, and bow low and curtsey; and when you are desired to sit
down, you must sit still till dinner is brought in; and when dinner is
ready, you must stand up and say grace before you eat; and you must
take whatever is offered you, without saying, "I will have this," and
"I will have that," as you do at home.'

"Mrs. Bennet gave her children a great many other rules for their
behaviour in Mrs. Howard's presence, which I have not time to repeat
now," said Mrs. Goodriche; "all of which Master Jacky and Miss Polly
promised to remember, for they were very desirous to get the
playthings.

"And now I will tell you what Mrs. Cartwright said to her children when
she got Mrs. Howard's invitation. She called them to her, and said:

"'Here, Billy--here, Patty, is a note from Mrs. Howard to invite you to
spend the day with her to-morrow; and I am glad of it, because I know
you love to go to Mrs. Howard's, she is so good to all children, and
has been particularly kind to you. I hear she has some pretty
playthings by her now to give away; but don't you be greedy of them, my
dears. You have a variety of playthings, you know--more than most
children have, and it does not become anyone to be covetous. And
remember, my dear children, to behave civilly and politely to
everybody.'

"And now I will tell you how these children behaved. About eleven
o'clock Mrs. Cartwright had her two children dressed in their best, and
sent them with the maid-servant to Mrs. Howard's. As they were walking
quietly over a corn-field, through which they must needs pass, they
saw Master and Miss Bennet with their servant sitting on a stile at
the farther end of the field.

"'Oh!' said Miss Patty, 'there are Master and Miss Bennet--on the way,
I suppose, to Mrs. Howard's. I am sorry we have met with them; I am
afraid they will get us into some mischief.'

"'Why should you say so?' said Master Cartwright. 'Let us speak of
things as we may find them.'

"When Master and Miss Cartwright came near the stile, Master Bennet
called to them:

"'What a long time you have been coming over the field! We have been
waiting for you this half-hour,' said he. 'Come, now, let us join
company. I suppose that you are going, as we are, to Mrs. Howard's.'

"Master Cartwright answered civilly, and all the children, with the two
servants, got over the stile and went down a pretty lane which was
beyond.

"The children walked on quietly till they came to a duck-pond,