your beefsteak and lobster, saith Mrs. Glass. But here are
Madame and the girls."

"We are quite lost without our Mothers," said the girls as they sprang
towards us. "Here's Madame, wanting us to do lessons," said Gatty,
sending her great thumb right through her handkerchief. "I never heard
of gipsies saying lessons and we are now no better than gipsies," said
Serena.

"Or people at a pic-nic," said Sybil. "Madame, the next six weeks must
be one great pic-nic; do consent, now do; we will sketch if you like,
and sing songs, and eat and drink for ever."

"Saucy girls," said Madame, smiling most kindly on them, "but I am sure
your Mama would not allow such thorough waste of time," assuming a
slight austerity of manner.

"Oh yes she will, Madame," said Schillie, "so betake yourselves off
girls, wherever you choose, provided you don't come and bother us."

"Leave them alone, Madame," said I, in answer to her beseeching looks at
me, "let them have their own way for a day or two, and you will find
them come to you and beg for a dose of the multiplication table."

"Now, that's very comfortable, girls, you have leave to go to the moon
if you choose, and, Madame, I'll go for your parasol and book, and you
can amuse yourself on that sunny bank, watching us all," said Schillie.

But Madame was much more easily disposed of than the girls, in spite of
Schillie's broad hints, and, at last, open remonstrances, that they
would go about their own business, not one would stir.

"What's the use of a holiday, unless we may spend it with our Mothers?"
said Sybil.

"That's all that we want a holiday for," said Serena, "that we may be
with you all day."

"Yes," said Gatty, "this is most jolly, and now you may have one side of
the big Mother, and Sybil shall have the other; Serena shall sit behind
her, and I'll sit here," throwing herself down at our feet with such
force that we both sprang up with pain.

"How do you like this lark's life?" said I, laughing.

"Good lack, girls, do you mean to say that you are going to be such
geese, as to sit here all day? Have you no curiosity to examine those
caves, no wish to discover figs and plums, no ambition to get on the top
of that rock?"

"No," said Sybil, "our curiosity is at a low ebb, our wishes are quite
fulfilled at being seated here, and we have no ambition but to remain."

"Indeed, Miss Sybil, your tongue runs very glibly, but if you think I am
going to stand the bore of the c