, pick food from
between her lips, and coo with delight. Indeed, every live thing about
the place knows and loves Allie. But come, let us be off, and give
some of the girls a swing.'

"It was rare fun swinging the girls; the hesitation with which each
one seated herself, the injunction not to be sent 'too high;' the
terrified scream given when sent off, the flutter of the light dress
and the streaming of the curls in the wind, were things worth
remembering. When tired with swinging, we started a game of
kiss-in-the-ring, in which all heartily joined, except a few languid,
swellish-looking fellows who thought it beneath their dignity, and
begged to be excused, saying the game was 'too vulgar.'

"'Don't think of those noodles,' said the elder Aveling; 'it is not
because the game is "too vulgar," but because they have tight boots,
and can't run. Come along, it's rare fun!'

"We had tea in the marquee; no end of cake and fruit, and jam and
preserves. It looked, and was, a little different to school-fare: no
one was stinted, and the good things disappeared like magic; indeed he
must have been a clever magician who could have made them vanish as
quickly. Two or three of the youngsters had smothered their faces all
over with marmalade and jam, and were sights to behold. One cried
because he could not eat any more of the nice things.

"'It strikes me very forcibly,' whispered the younger Aveling, 'that
that youngster over there will find himself under the necessity of
having an additional spoonful of jam with a powder in it to-morrow.'

"After tea, when it was dark, there was a dance on the lawn by
torchlight, the torches being held by the servants; the music
consisted of a flute, cornet, and violin, but the cornet proved of no
use, as some urchin had bunged it up with a cork before the dance
commenced. No particular dances were called for; the musicians played
just what they chose, the dancers danced whatever they knew best.
Some, and these were the majority, knew nothing of dancing whatever,
but threw their legs about just as fancy suggested; nevertheless the
pleasure derived from this singular and altogether unique method of
performing, was as intense as if done in the most scientific and
approved manner.

"We had supper in the large dining-hall. Such a spread! It did one's
heart good merely to see it. The pyramids of tarts! the mountains of
jelly, shaking their sides like so many jolly, fat old men! the
chickens, an