h good friends as they
had been that morning, she took no notice of it, and during dinner spoke
more to their papa than to them. But towards the end she turned to
Caroline and said, "Who do you think is coming to pay you a visit of a few
days? Well, I shall tell you, as I see you cannot guess. Your two cousins,
Lizzie and Charles."

Caroline was very much pleased to hear this, for she loved her cousins
very much; but her brother did not, for Charles was a well-behaved boy,
one or two years younger than Herbert, and would never join in any of his
tricks against the girls. When they arrived next morning, they went off at
once to see Caroline's pet hen and chickens; and though Herbert went with
them, he stood aside with his hoop dangling on his arm, and with a look of
contempt on his face at his cousin Charlie's delight at the sight of the
chickens. Living in a town as Charles and Lizzie did, everything belonging
to the country was new and delightful; and it was not till all the
poultry-sheds, and rabbit-hutches, and the very stables and cow-houses had
been visited, that Charles would consent to join Herbert in a game on the
lawn.

[Illustration: CHARLES AND THE CHICKENS.]

"I never saw any one like you, Charles," said Herbert, with a sneer; "one
would think you never had seen a hen or a cow before. If you were at our
school they would call you 'lady;' for you clap your hands just as a girl
does over these things. I like horses and dogs, but who cares for a hen
and chicks?"

"Well, now," said Charles, "can there be a prettier sight than a hen with
her chickens peeping out under her wings?"

Herbert made no reply, and the boys now set about having a game at
cricket, the girls good-naturedly agreeing to join in it, though they ran
some risk of being hurt; for Herbert often tried to strike the ball in
their direction, that he might enjoy the fun of seeing them run out of its
way lest it should hurt them. However, nothing of the kind happened; but
both Lizzie and Caroline were very glad when their brothers proposed to
put away the bat and wickets, and have a game at hide-and-seek down at the
great stack-yard. All that day and the next Herbert made himself very
agreeable, and a very happy time the four children had. On the third day
they paid a visit to old Mary Watkins, who lived in a little cottage on
the borders of Mr. Ashcroft's property, and was a great favourite both
with the children and their parents. Old Mary had