ong into the
river!--oh, what a scream Laura gave! it terrified even the old gander
himself, and sent the whole flock of geese marching off, nearly as fast
as they had come; but Laura's cries also reached, at a great distance,
the ears of somebody, who she would have been very sorry to think had
heard them.

Lady Harriet, and all her friends at Holiday House, were taking a
delightful walk under some fine old fir trees, on the banks of the
river, admiring the beautiful scenery, while Miss Perceval was admiring
nothing but her own fine pocket handkerchief, which had cost ten
guineas, being worked with her name, trimmed with lace, and perfumed
with eau de Cologne; and Captain Digby was admiring his own scarlet
uniform, reflected in the bright clear water, and varying his employment
occasionally by throwing pebbles into the stream, to see how far they
would go. Suddenly, however, he stopped, with a look of surprise and
alarm, saying, "What noise can that be!--a loud scream in the water!"

"Oh dear, no! it was only one of those horrid peacocks," answered Miss
Perceval, waving her fine pocket handkerchief. "They are the most
disagreeable, noisy creatures in the world! If mama ever keeps one, I
shall get him a singing-master, or put a muzzle on his mouth!"

"But surely there is something splashing in the river at a great
distance. Do you not see that!--what can it be?"

"Nothing at all, depend upon it! I could bet the value of my pocket
handkerchief, ten guineas, that it is nothing. Officers who live
constantly in barracks are so unaccustomed to the country, that they
seem to expect something wonderful shall happen every minute! That is
probably a salmon or a minnow."

"I am determined, however, to see. If you are quite sure this is a
salmon, will you promise to eat for your dinner whatever we find,
provided I can catch it?"

"Certainly! unless you catch a whale! Oh! I have dropped my pocket
handkerchief,--pray pick it up!"

Captain Digby did so; but without waiting to examine the pattern, he
instantly ran forward, and to his own very great astonishment, saw Laura
up to her knees in the river, trying to scramble out, while her face was
white with terror, and her limbs trembled with cold, like a poodle dog
newly washed.

"Why, here you are again!--the very same little girl that I caught in
the morning," cried he, laughing heartily, while he carefully pulled
Laura towards the bank, though, by doing so, he splashed his