r more careful when he meddled with other
people's things than when he managed his own. He had scarcely played
half an hour before he split it by driving the peg too violently.

Ben bore this misfortune with good-humour.

'Come,' said he, 'it can't be helped; but give me the string, because
_that_ may still be of use for something else.'

It happened some time afterwards that a lady, who had been intimately
acquainted with Hal's mother at Bath--that is to say, who had frequently
met her at the card-table during the winter--now arrived at Clifton. She
was informed by his mother that Hal was at Mr. Gresham's, and her sons,
who were _friends_ of his, came to see him, and invited him to spend the
next day with them.

Hal joyfully accepted the invitation. He was always glad to go out to
dine, because it gave him something to do, something to think of, or at
least something to say. Besides this, he had been educated to think it
was a fine thing to visit fine people; and Lady Diana Sweepstakes (for
that was the name of his mother's acquaintance) was a very fine lady,
and her two sons intended to be very _great_ gentlemen. He was in a
prodigious hurry when these young gentlemen knocked at his uncle's door
the next day; but just as he got to the hall door little Patty called to
him from the top of the stairs, and told him that he had dropped his
pocket-handkerchief.

'Pick it up, then, and bring it to me, quick, can't you, child?' cried
Hal, 'for Lady Di's sons are waiting for me.'

Little Patty did not know anything about Lady Di's sons; but as she was
very good-natured, and saw that her cousin Hal was, for some reason or
other, in a desperate hurry, she ran downstairs as fast as she possibly
could towards the landing-place, where the handkerchief lay; but, alas!
before she reached the handkerchief, she fell, rolling down a whole
flight of stairs, and when her fall was at last stopped by the
landing-place, she did not cry out; she writhed, as if she was in great
pain.

'Where are you hurt, my love?' said Mr. Gresham, who came instantly on
hearing the noise of someone falling downstairs. 'Where are you hurt, my
dear?'

'Here, papa,' said the little girl, touching her ankle, which she had
decently covered with her gown. 'I believe I am hurt here, but not
much,' added she, trying to rise; 'only it hurts me when I move.'

'I'll carry you; don't move, then,' said her father, and he took her up
in his arms.

'My shoe! I'