to announce their arrival."

"That's true, Tim," said Mr Merryboy, "but you've not finished the
letter, Bob--go on. Mother, mother, what a variety of faces you _are_
making!"

This also was true, for old Mrs Merryboy, seeing that something unusual
was occurring, had all this time been watching the various speakers with
her coal-black eyes, changing aspect with their varied expressions, and
wrinkling her visage up into such inexpressible contortions of
sympathetic good-will, that she really could not have been more sociable
if she had been in full possession and use of her five senses.

"As I had already," continued Bob, reading, "taken our passages in the
_Amazon_ steamer, Sir Richard thought it best that we should come on
before, along with his agent, who goes to see after the land, so that we
might have a good long stay with you, and dear Mr and Mrs Merryboy,
who have been so kind to you, before going on to Brandon--which, I
believe, is the name of the place in the backwoods where Sir Richard
means us all to go to. I don't know exactly where it is--and I don't
know anybody who does, but that's no matter. Enough for mother, and
Matty, and me to know that it's within a few hundred miles of you, which
is very different from three thousand miles of an ocean!

"You'll also be glad to hear that Mr Twitter with all his family is to
join this band. It quite puts me in mind of the story of the Pilgrim
Fathers, that I once heard in dear Mr Holland's meeting hall, long ago.
I wish he could come too, and all his people with him, and all the
ladies from the Beehive. Wouldn't that be charming! But, then,--who
would be left to look after London? No, it is better that they should
remain at home.

"Poor Mr Twitter never quite got the better of his fire, you see, so he
sold his share in his business, and is getting ready to come. His boys
and girls will be a great help to him in Canada, instead of a burden as
they have been in London--the younger ones I mean, of course, for Molly,
and Sammy, and Willie have been helping their parents for a long time
past. I don't think Mrs Twitter quite likes it, and I'm sure she's
almost breaking her heart at the thought of leaving George Yard. It is
said that their friends Mrs Loper, Mrs Larrabel, Stickler, and
Crackaby, want to join, but I rather think Sir Richard isn't very keen
to have them. Mr Stephen Welland is also coming. One of Sir Richard's
friends, Mr Brisbane I think, got