g across the hall what the
boys looked at with glances of dismay, namely, the post-bag. Knight
Sutton, being small and remote, did not possess a post-office, but
a messenger came from Allonfield for the letters on every day except
Sunday, and returned again in the space of an hour. A very inconvenient
arrangement, as everyone had said for the last twenty years, and might
probably say for twenty years more.

As usual, more than half the contents were for G. Langford, Esq.,
and Fred's face grew longer and longer as he saw the closely-written
business-like sheets.

"Fred, my poor fellow," said his uncle, looking up, "I am sorry for you,
but one or two must be answered by this day's post. I will not be longer
than I can help."

"Then do let us come on," exclaimed the chorus.

"Come, Queenie," added Alex.

She delayed, however, saying, "Can I do any good, papa?"

"Thank you, let me see. I do not like to stop you, but it would save
time if you could just copy a letter."

"O thank you, pray let me," said Beatrice, delighted. "Go on, Henrietta,
I shall soon come."

Henrietta would have waited, but she saw a chance of speaking to her
brother, which she did not like to lose.

Her mother had taken advantage of the various conversations going on in
the hall, to draw her son aside, saying, "Freddy, I believe you think me
very troublesome, but do let me entreat of you not to venture on the ice
till one of your uncles has said it is safe."

"Uncle Roger trusts Alex," said Fred.

"Yes, but he lets all those boys take their chance, and a number of
you together are likely to be careless, and I know there used to be
dangerous places in that pond. I will not detain you, my dear," added
she, as the others were preparing to start, "only I beg you will not
attempt to skate till your uncle comes."

"Very well," said Frederick, in a tone of as much annoyance as ever he
showed his mother, and with little suspicion how much it cost her not
to set her mind at rest by exacting a promise from him. This she had
resolutely forborne to do in cases like the present, from his earliest
days, and she had her reward in the implicit reliance she could place
on his word when once given. And now, sighing that it had not been
voluntarily offered, she went to her sofa, to struggle and reason in
vain with her fears, and start at each approaching step, lest it should
bring the tidings of some fatal accident, all the time blaming herself
for the ent