home vexations
and pleasures, and finally, when the children were wishing good night, he
bluntly said, 'It would be better fun to bring Lieschen and Phoebe.'

Honor thought so too, and proposed giving the invitation.

'Don't,' said Robert, 'she'd be cross; I'll bring them.'

And so he did. Two days after, the broad German face and the flaxen head
appeared, leading that fat ball, Phoebe, and Robin frisking in triumph
beside her. Henceforth a great friendship arose between the children.
Phoebe soon lost all dread of those who petted her, and favoured them
with broad smiles and an incomprehensible patois. Owen made very much of
her, and pursued and imitated Robert with the devotion of a small boy to
a larger one. Lucilla devoted herself to him for want of better game,
and moreover he plainly told her that she was the prettiest little girl
he ever saw, and laid all manner of remarkable treasures at her feet.
Miss Charlecote believed that he made some curious confidences to her,
for once Owen said, 'I want to know why Robin hasn't a Sweet Honey to
make him good?'

'Robin has a papa and mamma, and a governess.'

'Robin was telling Lucy he wanted some one to teach him to be good, and
she said she would, but I think she is not old enough.'

'Any one who is good is teaching others, my Owen,' said Honor. 'We will
ask in our prayers that poor little Robin may be helped.'

When Mr. and Mrs. Fulmort came home, there was an interchange of calls,
many thanks for her kindness to the children, and sanction of future
intercourse. Mr. Fulmort was a great distiller, who had married a county
heiress, and endeavoured to take his place among the country squires,
whom he far exceeded in display; and his wife, a meek, sickly person,
lived a life of slavery to the supposed exigencies of fashion. She had
always had, in her maiden days, a species of awe of the Charlecotes'
London cousin, and was now disposed to be rather gratified by her notice
of her children. Mervyn had been disposed of at a tutor's, and Robert
was adrift for many hours of the day. As soon as he had discovered the
possibility of getting to the Holt alone, he was frequently there,
following Honora about in her gardening and farming, as much at home as
the little Sandbrooks, sharing in their sports, and often listening to
the little books that she read aloud to them. He was very far from being
such an angelic little mortal as Owen, with whom indeed his sympathies