g out of London, when
she may be taken suddenly ill at any time. She is in such a nervous
state that Mr. Peyton cannot tell what might be the consequence," said
Beatrice, in an imitative tone, which made Fred laugh.

"I am sure I should leave her to take care of herself," said he.

"So do the whole family except ourselves; they are all worn out by
her querulousness, and are not particularly given to patience or
unselfishness either. But mamma is really fond of her, because she was
kind to her when she came home from India, and she manages to keep her
quiet better than anyone else can. She can very seldom resist mamma's
cheerful voice, which drives off half her nerves at once. You cannot
think how funny it is to see how Aunt Amelia always seems to stroke the
cat the wrong way, and mamma to smooth her down the right."

A lull in the conversation left these last words audible, and Mr.
Langford said, "What is that about stroking the cat, Queenie?"

"O you are telling it all--O don't, Bee!" cried Willy.

And with certain jokes about cats and bags, which seemed excessively to
discomfit Willy, who protested the cat was not in the bag at all--it
was the partridges--the conversation drifted away again from the younger
party.

As soon as dinner was over, Beatrice again disappeared, after begging
her grandmamma to allow the great Indian screen to remain as it at
present stood, spread out so as to cut off one end of the room, where
there was a door opening into the study. Behind this screen frequent
rustlings were heard, with now and then a burst of laughing or
whispering, and a sound of moving furniture, which so excited Mrs.
Langford, that, starting up, she exclaimed that she must go and see what
they were doing.

"We are taking great care, grandmamma," called Alexander. "We won't hurt
it."

This, by showing so far that there was something to be hurt, was so far
from reassuring her, that she would certainly have set out on a voyage
of discovery, but for Mr. Langford, who professed himself convinced that
all was right, and said he would not have the Busy Bee disturbed.

She came in to tea, bringing Alex and Willy with her--the latter, in a
marvellous state of mystery and excitement, longing to tell all himself,
and yet in great terror lest the others should tell.

As soon as the tea was despatched, the three actors departed, and
presently there was a call from behind the screen, "Are you ready, good
people?"

"Go it,