s well make it as like home as we can,
and call it the same name."

I nodded approvingly to the dear girl for her nice thought. Madame's
pocket handkerchief was in requisition, while Schillie, who seemed to
favour Serena's remarks with more attention than any of the others,
said, "Call it any name you like, my dear child, if it gives you the
smallest pleasure; only you will see house it is, and house it will be
called, until a hurricane blows it down."

"Oh don't, my dear Madam," murmured Madame. "Hurricanes will come,"
repeated Schillie. "I would oblige you if I could, but in this
particular I am not clerk of the works, and have no control."

"Then," said Sybil, "we will call it Maescelyn."

"No," said Oscar, "I won't have it called that. The real Maescelyn is a
castle, very large, airy, and handsome to look at, and this is a dingy
little house, with no windows in it."

What a start we all gave. It was too true. Even the clerk of the works
looked quite silly. The house that had cost us such infinite labour, on
which we looked with such pride and affection, had no windows of any
kind or sort in its principal room. It is true the door was very wide,
it is true that floods of light poured in through it, but, suppose we
had to shut the door (that is when we had made one) what could we do
then? It is true the little bed-rooms had each their little pigeon holes
for light and ventilation, and that the back kitchen was very airy, but
our hall, dining-room, drawing-room, school-room (the pride of our
hearts and delight of our eyes) had no windows whatever. No wonder we
all felt the remark was true. Felix spoke first, but only in a whisper,
which whisper passed round among the young ones, and marvellously
restored their equanimity. "There was no possibility of doing lessons in
the dark." As Madame became aware of this telegraphic dispatch, and saw
its effect, she grew quite nervous, which always caused her to lose her
voice. In vain she attempted an expostulation, and, what between her
efforts and the rising exultation, I began to apprehend she would have
a fit, so I comforted her, and said, "Never mind, Madame, we will have a
window without doubt somewhere, and at present you see we don't want
one, for the door throws in so much light, that we never found out we
ought to have windows." I don't think the clerk of the works spoke for
the next half hour, she was so annoyed; but, what we thought a great
misfortune proved after