as near the tiny
blaze as she could, with her coat still closely buttoned.

"No, thanks; I want to get warm," she answered, when they spoke of it.
"It seems to me that it's very cold here. Don't you ever have bigger
fires?"

As Betty spoke, the little blaze flickered and almost went out.

"I'll shut the window," said Philip. "I remember, now, how cold
Americans always are over here. Mother has told us how frightfully hot
you keep your houses. We don't like that, for we never feel the cold.
Why, just to show you how accustomed to it we English are, let me tell
you what I read the other day. At Oxford University, up to the time of
King Henry VIII, no fires were permitted. Just before going to bed the
poor boys used to go out and run a certain distance, to warm
themselves. Even I shouldn't care for that!"

"Let's make some plans for to-morrow," exclaimed Mrs. Pitt. "What
should you like to see first, Betty?"

"I want to go somewhere on a bus!" was John's prompt answer, at which
everybody laughed except Betty.

"Oh, yes, but let's go to Westminster Abbey just as soon as possible,
John. I've always wanted so much to see it, that I don't believe I can
wait now. Think of all the great people who have been associated with
it," said Betty very earnestly.

"Very well, I quite agree on taking you first to the Abbey," said Mrs.
Pitt. "It is a place of which I could never tire, myself. And strange
to say, I very seldom, if ever, get time to go there, except when I'm
showing it to strangers. Why! It's twenty-five minutes past nine this
very minute, children; you must go to bed at once!"

CHAPTER THREE

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

The first thing that Betty heard the following morning was a gentle
knock upon her bedroom door, and a voice saying, "It's seven o'clock,
and will you have some sticks, Miss?"

"What sticks? What for?" Betty asked sleepily.

They were for a fire, it seemed, and Betty welcomed the idea. She was
soon dressed, and Barbara came to show her the way to the
breakfast-room.

"You can't think how good it does seem not to be thrown about while
dressing, as we were on the steamer! Do you know that I can't help
stepping up high over the door-sills even yet!" laughed Betty, as they
went downstairs together. "Mrs. Moore, the friend of mother's in whose
care we came, you know, told me that I should probably feel the motion
for some time after landing."

[Illustration: "I ONLY WISH I COULD BE A GUARD AND