e, in her own room.

The weeks were few now to the time when the household would break up;
Mrs. Laval and her children to return to Briery Bank, Mrs. Bartholomew
and hers for a cottage at Newport. Mrs. Lloyd was accustomed to abide
generally with the latter. All the members of the family were busied
with their various preparations; and the unsettled feeling of coming
change was upon the whole household. Little else was thought of. So
when an invitation came from the mother of Esther Francis, that all the
young ones should join a party of pleasure that were going to spend the
day in Westchester, it was a very unlooked for variety in the general
course of things. Of course they would go. The young people were to eat
strawberries and do everything else that was pleasant, at General
Francis's place. Mrs. Francis was not yet ready to leave town; there
was nobody in possession but the servants; the widest liberty would be
the rule of the day.

"How nice that the boys are out of school!" said Matilda. "Term just
ended."

"Of course. Couldn't have the party without the people," said Judy.

"Will there be a great many, Norton?" Matilda asked.

"Don't know anything about it. You must ask somebody else. Esther
Francis isn't our cousin."

"How dry you are," said David. "I know no more about it, Matilda, than
he does."

"Esther said there would be twenty or thirty," said Judy. "How are we
going? that's what I want to know."

"Take the Harlem railroad to the station," said Norton, "and drive the
rest. That's the way you always go to General Francis's. Mamma! I'd
like to drive Pink out. It's only thirteen miles."

"I'm afraid, Norton. I think you had better all go together."

Norton grumbled a little; however, it was good enough even so.

The day was the first of June; fresh and sweet as the first of June
should be. The four were in the cars early; and as soon as the train
had got quit of the city, the sights and smells of the country roused
Matilda to the highest pitch of delight. Such green fields! such blue
sky! such delicious air! and such varieties of pleasant objects that
she had not seen for some time! The rush to the station was one whirl
of pleasure; then the pleasure grew greater, for they got into a
carriage to drive across the country. Every foot of the way, though it
was not through a very enchanting landscape, was joyous to Matilda's
vision; and when the grounds were reached of General Francis's villa,
ther