ckens to
hide under Polly's wing. The Rickettses and Joneses scrambled to their
feet, and ran to find shelter as close as possible to headquarters.
Thus, when Polly at last found her voice, and turned round to speak to
Aunt Maria, she looked like the flushed and triumphant leader of a
little victorious garrison. She was quite carried away by the excitement
of the whole thing, and defiance spoke both in her eyes and manner.

"How do you do, Aunt Maria?" she said. "We did not expect you. We were
having supper, and have just finished. I would ask you to have some with
us, only I am afraid there is not a clean plate left. Is there, Maggie?"

Maggie answered with a high and nervous giggle, "Oh, lor', Miss Polly!
that there ain't; and there's nothing but broken victuals either on the
table by now. We was all hungry, you know, Miss Polly."

"So perhaps," continued Polly, "you would go downstairs again, Aunt
Maria. Helen, will you take Aunt Maria to the drawing-room? I will come
as soon as I see the supper things put away. Helen, why do you look at
me like that? What's the matter?"

"Oh, Polly!" said Helen, in her most reproachful tones.

She was turning away, but Aunt Maria caught her rather roughly by the
shoulder.

"Do _all_ this numerous party belong to the family?" she said. "I see
here present thirteen children. I never knew before that my sister had
such an enormous family."

Helen felt in far too great a state of collapse to make any reply; but
Polly's saucy, glib tones were again heard.

"These are our visitors, Aunt Maria. Allow me to introduce them. Master
and Miss Ricketts, Masters Tom, Jim, and Peter Jones. This is Maggie, my
satellite, and devoted friend, and--and----"

But Aunt Maria's patience had reached its tether. She was a stout,
heavily made woman, and when she walked into the center of Polly's
garrison she quickly dispersed it.

"March!" she said, laying her hand heavily on the girl's shoulder. "To
your room this instant. Come, I shall see you there, and lock you in.
You are a very bad, wicked, heartless girl, and I am bitterly ashamed of
you. To your room this minute. While your father is away you are under
my control, and I _insist_ on being obeyed."

"Oh, lor'!" gasped Maggie. "Run," she whispered to her brother and
sister. "Make for the door, quick. Oh, ain't it awful! Oh, poor dear
Miss Polly! Why, that dreadful old lady will almost kill her."

But no, Polly was still equal to the emerge