p into the schoolroom and see how the children were getting on.
They found Bab and Daisy seated on the floor, much occupied in giving
the dolls' house babies their evening baths, while Effie and May were
playing bagatelle by themselves with a good deal of noise and shouting.

"And where is Sylvia?" asked Aunt Louisa, looking round in some
astonishment for the absent hostess.

"She's there," said Effie, pointing to the window seat. "She doesn't
care about playing. Go on, May, it's your turn."

Mrs. Lindsay walked across to the window, and, drawing aside the
curtains, disclosed Sylvia, squatting on her heels like a Turk, in the
corner of the seat, entirely taken up with the adventures of the black
knight and his outlawed companions. Her mother pulled the book from
her hand.

"Sylvia!" she exclaimed. "Don't you know it is extremely rude of you
to sit reading and leave your guests to amuse themselves? Get up this
minute!"

Sylvia obeyed with a very red face. She had never expected to be
caught like this.

"They were quite happy without----" she began, but meeting Aunt
Louisa's eye she wisely left the sentence unfinished.

"I'm sure they would enjoy some game you could all play together,"
said Mrs. Lindsay. "If we push the table aside there will be plenty of
room for Blind Man's Buff."

"Oh! Yes! Yes!" cried the little Carsons, bundling the dolls back into
the dolls' house, and dancing up and down with excitement, while Effie
and May, equally pleased, helped Sylvia to put away the bagatelle.

"Let Bab be blind man," begged Daisy.

"And turn me round three times," added Bab, beginning to revolve already
in delighted anticipation.

Both Mrs. Lindsay and Aunt Louisa were kind enough to join in the
game, and to institute several others afterwards, so that for an hour
the children had a most enjoyable romp, which continued until the
Carsons' nurse arrived to take Bab and Daisy home. Even Sylvia raced
about when she found her elders doing the same, and grew so rosy in
the effort that her mother looked at her pink cheeks with approval.

"Goodbye!" called the four small visitors, when at last hats, coats,
and boots had been put on, and they all hurried to start before a
threatening cloud brought down the rain again.

"They seem to have had a lovely time, and enjoyed themselves so much,
m'm," said the nurse, gathering up the parcels of shoes and taking
Daisy's hand.

"Did you enjoy it, Sylvia dear?" asked Mrs. Linds