his aunt. 'I should much rather have it in the
schoolroom, and if Miss Ward isn't better, I can pour it out for you.'

'She's sure to be better by tea-time,' said Hec. 'She always
is'--without much satisfaction in his voice.

But this did not alter Aunt Mattie's choice. To tell the truth, she
thought it a good opportunity to see how things were going on in the
schoolroom in her sister's absence.

Just then a bell sounded.

'That is the tea-bell,' said Archie. 'Come along. The first in the
schoolroom to sit beside auntie.'

Off they set, all except little Gervais, but they had not gone many
paces before Pat turned back again.

'What's the matter?' said his aunt, and then she felt sorry that she had
said anything, when she saw it was an effort on the boy's part to behave
politely to the ladies of the party.

'Oh,' he replied, rather gruffly, 'I think I had better carry Ger down
till we get to the paddock.'

'No, you _san't_' said Ger ungratefully. 'Auntie, tell him he's not to,'
for Pat was preparing to pick him up willy-nilly, and a roar would no
doubt have been the consequence.

[Illustration: 'I'LL TAKE ONE HAND AND PAT ONE, AND THEN WE'LL ALL RUN
DOWN TOGETHER.']

'I'll tell you what, Ger,' said Rosamond quickly, 'I'll take one hand
and Pat one, and then we'll all run down together, and wait for auntie
at the bottom.'

To this arrangement Ger condescended, and Aunt Mattie, as she followed
the three more slowly, gave a little sigh of satisfaction.

'It's all quite true that her mother said of her,' she thought to
herself. 'She's a dear little soul, full of tact and good feeling. I
wonder why our boys are so very tiresome?'

For it was new to her to think of them as not _hers_ as much as their
parents'.

'I wonder if it's just that they _are_ boys, or have we mismanaged them
somehow or other? I did so hope that my being with Harriet since I
grew up had been a real help to her, but it scarcely looks like it.
These boys are very troublesome.'

Tea was ready when they all got back to the house--tea and the dispenser
of it, in the shape of Miss Ward, very meek and evidently rather sorry
for herself, though her face brightened as she caught sight of Aunt
Mattie and rose to greet her.

'I am sorry you have got a headache, Miss Ward,' said the young lady,
'I'm afraid you are rather subject to them.'

'N--no, I can't say that I am, or rather I never used to be, and I am
particularly sorry to have had one