extremely thin, delicate, old lady, with a
very pale face, and a sweet gentle voice, which the children delighted
to hear, for it always spoke kindly to them, and sounded like music,
after the loud, rough tones of Mrs. Crabtree. She wore her own grey
hair, which had become almost as white as the widow's cap which covered
her head. The rest of her dress was generally black velvet, and she
usually sat in a comfortable arm-chair by the fire-side, watching her
grandchildren at play, with a large work-bag by her side, and a
prodigious Bible open on the table before her. Lady Harriet often said
that it made her young again to see the joyous gambols of Harry and
Laura; and when unable any longer to bear their noise, she sometimes
kept them quiet, by telling the most delightful stories about what had
happened to herself when she was young.

Once upon a time, however, Lady Harriet suddenly became so very ill,
that Dr. Bell said she must spend a few days in the country, for change
of air, and accordingly she determined on passing a quiet week at
Holiday House with her relations, Lord and Lady Rockville. Meanwhile,
Harry and Laura were to be left under the sole care of Mrs. Crabtree, so
it might have been expected that they would both feel more frightened
for her, now that she was reigning monarch of the house, than ever.
Harry would obey those he loved, if they only held up a little finger;
but all the terrors of Mrs. Crabtree, and her cat-o'-nine-tails, were
generally forgotten soon after she left the room; therefore he thought
little at first about the many threats she held out, if he behaved ill,
but he listened most seriously when his dear sick grandmama told him, in
a faint weak voice, on the day of her departure from home, how very well
he ought to behave in her absence, as no one remained but the maids to
keep him in order, and that she hoped Mrs. Crabtree would write her a
letter full of good news about his excellent conduct.

Harry felt as if he would gladly sit still without stirring, till his
grandmama came back, if that could only please her; and there never was
any one more determined to be a good boy than he, at the moment when
Lady Harriet's carriage came round to the door. Laura, Frank, and Harry
helped to carry all the pillows, boxes, books, and baskets which were
necessary for the journey, of which there seemed to be about fifty; then
they arranged the cushions as comfortably as possible, and watched very
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