was no resisting Captain Lee. As well might a red-skin attempt to
stop Niagara. When once he had made up his mind to "go in" for
something, no mortal power could stop him. He might indeed be _turned_.
Another object of interest, worthy of pursuit and judiciously put
before him, might perhaps induce him to abandon a previous scheme; but
once his steam was up, as John Marrot used to say, you could not get him
to blow it off into the air. He was unlike the iron horse in that
respect, although somewhat like him in the rigour of his action.
Accordingly the thing was fixed. Invitations were sent out to all the
schools and to all who took an interest in them, and the place fixed on
was a field at the back of Mrs Tipps's villa.

The day came, and with it the children in their best array. The weather
was all that could be wished--a bright sun and a clear sky,--so that the
huge tent provided in case of rain, was found to be only required to
shade the provisions from the sun. Besides the children there were the
teachers--many of them little more than children as to years, but with a
happy earnestness of countenance and manner which told of another
element in their breasts that evidently deepened and intensified their
joy. There were several visitors and friends of Captain Lee and Mrs
Tipps. Emma was there, of course, the busiest of the busy in making
arrangements for the feast which consisted chiefly of fruit, buns, and
milk. Netta and she managed that department together. Of course little
Gertie was there and her sister Loo, from which we may conclude that
Will Garvie was there in spirit, not only because that would have been
natural, but because he had expressly told Loo the day before that he
meant to be present in that attenuated condition. Bodily, poor fellow,
he was on the foot-plate of the _Lightning_, which is as much as to say
that he was everywhere by turns, and nowhere long. Mrs Marrot was
there too, and baby, with Nanny Stocks as his guardian. Miss Stocks's
chief employment during the evening appeared to be to forget herself in
the excess of her delight, and run baby's head against all sorts of
things and persons. Perhaps it was as well she did so, because it
tended to repress his energy. She acted the part of regulator and
safety-valve to that small human engine, by controlling his actions and
permitting him good-naturedly to let off much of his superfluous steam
on herself. Indeed she was a species of