beautiful
uniform most distressingly. "We have had a complete game at bo-peep
to-day, my friend! but here comes a lady who has promised to eat you up,
therefore I shall have no more trouble."

Laura would have consented to be eaten up with pleasure, rather than
encounter Lady Harriet's eye, who really did not recognize her for the
first minute, as no one can suppose what a figure she appeared. The last
clean frock had been covered entirely over with mud--her hair was
dripping with water--and her new yellow sash might be any colour in the
world. Laura felt so completely ashamed she could not look up from the
ground, and so sorry she could not speak, while hot tears mingled
themselves with the cold water which trickled down her face.

"What is the matter! Who is this?" cried Lady Harriet, hurrying up to
the place where they stood. "Laura!! Impossible!!!"

"Let me put on a pair of spectacles, for I cannot believe my eyes
without them!" said Major Graham. "Ah! sure enough it is Laura, and
such a looking Laura as I never saw before. You must have had a nice
cold bath!"

"I have heard," continued Lady Harriet, "that naughty people are often
ducked in the water as a punishment, and in that respect I am sure Laura
deserves what she has got, and a great deal more."

"She reminds me," observed Captain Digby, "of the Chinese bird which has
no legs, so it constantly flies about from place to place, never a
moment at rest."

"Follow me, Laura," said Lady Harriet, "that I may hear whether you have
anything to say for yourself on this occasion. It is scarcely possible
that there can be any excuse, but nobody should be condemned unheard."

When Laura had been put into dry clothes, she told her whole history,
and entreated Lady Harriet to hear how very perfectly she had first
learned her task, before venturing to stir out of the room; upon which
her grandmama consented, and amidst tears and sobs, the monody on Sir
John Moore was repeated without a single mistake. Lady Rockville then
came in, to entreat that, as this was the last day of the visit to
Holiday House, Laura might be forgiven and permitted to appear at
dessert, as all the company were anxious to see her, and particularly
Captain Digby, who regretted that he had been the means at first of
getting her into a scrape.

"Indeed, my dear Lady Rockville! I might perhaps have agreed to your
wishes," answered Lady Harriet, "particularly as Laura seems sincerely
sorry, and di