in the billiard room they didn't feel just like
romping.

"I hate this house!" said King, unable to repress the truth any longer.

"So do I!" said Kitty. "If we stay here much longer, I'll run away."

This surprised the other two, for Kitty was usually mild and gentle, and
rarely gave way to such speech as this.

"It's Grandma Maynard that makes the trouble," said King. "She's so
pernickety and fussy about us. I'd behave a great deal better if she'd
let me alone. And Grandpa wouldn't bother about us if Grandma didn't make
him."

"I don't think you ought to talk like that, King," said Marjorie.
"Somehow, it doesn't seem right. It isn't respectful, and all that, and
it doesn't seem a nice thing to do."

"That's so, Mops; you're just right!" said King, taking the reproof in
good part, for he knew it was merited. "It's a whole lot worse to be
disrespectful about your grandpeople than to carry on and make a racket,
_I_ think."

"Yes, it is," said Marjorie, "and I say the rest of the time we're here,
let's try to do just right. Because it's only two or three days anyway.
I think we're going on day after to-morrow."

So they all agreed to try afresh to behave correctly, and on the whole
succeeded pretty well.

Promptly at quarter of four that afternoon they presented themselves in
the drawing-room for Grandma's inspection.

"You look very well," Grandma said, nodding her head approvingly at the
girls' frilly white dresses and King's correct clothes. "Now I trust
you'll behave as well as you look."

"What do you want us to do, Grandma?" asked Marjorie. "I mean to
entertain the boys and girls."

"Oh, nothing of that sort, child; the entertainment will be provided by a
professional entertainer. You have only to greet the guests properly,
and that is all you need do."

Marjorie did not know quite what a professional entertainer was, but it
sounded interesting, and she was quite sure she could manage to greet the
guests politely.

Although Marjorie's mother was in the room, she had little to say,
for Grandma Maynard was accustomed to dominate everything in her own
house. And as her ideas were not entirely in accord with those of her
daughter-in-law, the younger Mrs. Maynard thought it wise not to obtrude
her own opinions.

Promptly at four o'clock the children began to come. The Maynards stood
in a group at one end of the long room, and as each guest arrived, a
footman stationed at the doorway announced the nam