sh slave, and I'll have to wear a veil. Do you know where the veils
are? You know I brought them over last night."

"Elizabeth Eliza! Solomon John wants you to send him the large cashmere
scarf!" exclaimed one of the little boys, coming in.

"Elizabeth Eliza! you must tell us what kind of faces to make up!" cried
another of the boys.

And the audience were heard meanwhile taking the seats on the other side
of the thin curtain.

"You sit in front, Mrs. Bromwick; you are a little hard of hearing; sit
where you can hear."

"And let Julia Fitch come where she can see," said another voice.

"And we have not any words for them to hear or see!" exclaimed John
Osborne, behind the curtain.

"Oh, I wish we'd never determined to have charades! exclaimed Elizabeth
Eliza.

"Can't we return the money?"

"They are all here; we must give them something!" said John Osborne,
heroically.

"And Solomon John is almost dressed," reported Ann Maria,
winding a veil around her head.

"Why don't we take Solomon John's word 'Hindoos' for the first?" said
Agamemnon.

John Osborne agreed to go in the first, hunting the "hin," or anything,
and one of the little boys took the part of the hen, with the help of a
feather duster.

The bell rang, and the first scene began.

It was a great success. John Osborne's Irish was perfect. Nobody guessed
the word, for the hen crowed by mistake; but it received great applause.

Mr. Peterkin came on in the second scene to receive the water-rates, and
made a long speech on taxation. He was interrupted by Ann Maria as an
old woman in a huge bonnet. She persisted in turning her back to the
audience, speaking so low nobody heard her; and Elizabeth Eliza, who
appeared in a more remarkable bonnet, was so alarmed she went directly
back, saying she had forgotten something But this was supposed to be the
effect intended, and it was loudly cheered.

Then came a long delay, for the little boys brought out a number of
their friends to be browned for Hindoos. Ann Maria played on the piano
till the scene was ready. The curtain rose upon five brown boys done up
in blankets and turbans.

"I am thankful that is over," said Elizabeth Eliza, "for now we can act
my word. Only I don't myself know the whole."

"Never mind, let us act it," said John Osborne, "and the audience can
guess the whole."

"The first syllable must be the letter P," said Elizabeth Eliza, "and we
must have a school."

Agamemnon was mast