ruin too cheap, or in caring for it for its own sake, and not as a lion for guests.'
'The latter probably. She has the reputation of being very affected!!!'
'Poor dear! I heard that she was a great trial to dear Mrs. Brownlow,' said Mary, in an imitative voice. 'Why, do you know, she sometimes is up and out with her children before six o'clock in the morning; and then Colonel Brownlow went in one day at twelve o'clock, and found the whole family fast asleep on different sofas.'
'The sensible way, too, to spend such days as these. To go out in the cool of the morning, and take a siesta, is the only rational plan!'
'I'm afraid one must conform to one's neighbours' ways.'
'Trust a woman for being conventional.'
'I confess I did not like the tone in which my poor Carey was spoken of. I am afraid she can hardly have taken care enough not to be thought flighty.'
'Mary! you are as absurd as the rest of them!'
'Why? what have you seen of her?'
'Nothing, I tell you, except once meeting her in the street, and once calling on her to ask whether her boy should learn German.' And David Ogilvie spoke with a vehemence that somewhat startled his sister.
It was a July evening, and though the walls of the schoolmaster's house were thick, it was sultry enough within to lead the brother and sister out immediately after dinner, looking first into the play- fields, where cricket was of course going on among the bigger boys, but where Mary looked in vain for her friend's sons.
'No, they are not much of cricketers,' said her brother; 'they are small for it yet, and only take their turn in watching-out by compulsion. I wish the senior had more play in him. Shall we walk on by the river?'
So they did, along a paved causeway which presently got clear of the cottages and gables of old factories, and led along, with the brightly glassy sheet of water on one side, and the steep wooded slope on the other, loose-strife and meadow-sweet growing thickly on the bank, amid long weeds with feathery tops, rich brown fingers of sedge, and bur-reeds like German morgensterns, while above the long wreaths of dog-roses projected, the sweet honeysuckle twined about, and the white blossoms of traveller's joy hung in festoons from the hedge of the bordering plantation. After a time they came on a kind of glade, opening upwards though the wood, with one large oak-tree standing alone in the centre, and behold! on the grass below sat or lay a company-Mrs. Joseph Brownlow in the midst, under the obnoxious mushroom-hat, reading aloud. Radiating from her were five boys, the biggest of all on his back, with his hat over his eyes, fast asleep; another cross-legged, with a basket between his knees, dividing his attention between it and the book; two more lying frog-like, with elbows on the ground, feet erected behind them, chin in hand, devouring the narrative with their eyes; the fifth wriggling restlessly about, evidently in search of opportunities of mischief or of tormenting tricks. Just within earshot, but sketching the picturesque wooden bridge below, sat one girl. The little one, with her youngest brother, was close at their mother's feet, threading flowers to make a garland. It was a pretty sight, and so intent were most of the party on their occupations that they never saw the pair on the bank till Joe, the idler, started and rolled round with 'Hollo!' when all turned, it may be feared with muttered growls from some of the boys; but Carey herself gave a cry of joy, ran down the bank like a girl, and greeted Mary Ogilvie with an eager embrace.
'You are holding a Court here,' said the school-master.
'We have had tea out here. It is too hot for indoors, and I am reading them the 'Water Babies.''
'To a large audience, I see.'
'Yes, and some of which are not quite sure whether it is fact or fiction. Come and sit down.'
'The boys will hate us for breaking up their reading,' said Mary.
'Why should not we listen!' said her brother.
'Don't disturb yourselves, boys; we've met before to-day.'
Bobus and Jock were, however, on their feet, and Johnny had half risen; Robin lay still snoring, and Joe had retreated into the wood from the alarming spectacle of 'the schoolmaster abroad.'
After a greeting to the two girls, who comported themselves, according to their ages, as young ladies might be expected to do, the Ogilvies found accommodation on the roots of the tree, and listened. The 'Water Babies' were then new, and Mr. Ogilvie had never heard them. Luckily the reading had just come to the history of the 'Do as You Likes,' and the interview between the last of the race and M. Du Chaillu diverted him beyond measure. He laughed so much over the poor fellow's abortive attempt to say 'Am I not a man and a brother?' that his three scholars burst out into a second edition of shouts of laughter at the sight of him, and thus succeeded in waking Robin, who, after a great contortion, sat up on the grass, and, rubbing his eyes, demanded in an injured tone what was the row?
''The Last of the Do as You Likes,'' said Armine.
'Oh I say--isn't it jolly,' cried Jock, beating his breast gorilla- fashion and uttering a wild murmur of 'Am I not a man and a brother?' then tumbling head over heels, half in ecstasy, half in imitation of the fate of the Do as You Like, setting everybody off into fits again.
'It's just what Robin is coming to,' observed Bobus, as his namesake stretched his arms and delivered himself of a waking howl; then suddenly becoming conscious of Mr. Ogilvie, he remained petrified, with one arm fully outstretched, the other still lifted to his head.
'Never mind, Brownlow maximus,' said his master; 'it was hardly fair to surprise you in private life, was it?'
The boy made no answer, but scrambled up, sheepish and disconcerted; and indeed the sun was entirely down and the dew almost falling, so that the mother called to the young ones to gather up their things and come home.
Such a collection! Bobus picked up a tin-case and basket full of flowers, interspersed with bottles of swimming insects. The trio and Armine shouldered their butterfly-nets, and had a distribution of pill-boxes and bottles, in some of which were caterpillars intended to live, in others butterflies dead (or dying, it may be feared) of laurel leaves. Babie had a mighty nosegay; Janet put up the sketch, which showed a good deal of power; and the whole troop moved up the slope to go home by the lanes.
'What collectors you are!' said Mr. Ogilvie.
'For the museum,' answered Armine, eagerly.
'Haven't you seen our museum?' cried Barbara, who had taken his hand. 'Oh, it is such a beauty! We have got an Orobanche major, only it is not dry yet.'
'I'm afraid Babie likes fine words,' said her mother; 'but our museum is a great amusement to us Londoners.'
They all walked home together, talking merrily, and Mr. and Miss Ogilvie came in with them, on special entreaty, to share the supper- milk, fruit, bread and butter and cheese, and sandwiches, which was laid out on the round table in the octagon vestibule, which formed the lowest story of the tower. It was partaken of standing, or sitting at case on the window-seats, a form or two, an old carved chair, or on the stairs, the children ascending them after their meal, and after securing in their own fashion their treasures for the morrow. The two cousins had already bidden good-night at the gate and gone home, and the Ogilvies followed their example in ten minutes, Caroline begging Mary to come up to her as soon as Mr. Ogilvie was disposed of by school hours.
'But you will be busy?' said Mary.
'Never mind, I am afraid we are not very regular,' said Carey.
It was by this time ten o'clock, and the two younger children were still to be heard shouting to one another up stairs about the leaves for their chrysalids. So when Mary came up the hill at half-past ten the next morning, she was the less surprised to find these two only just beginning breakfast, while their mother was sitting at the end of the table knitting, and hearing Janet repeat German poetry. The boys had long been in school.
Caroline jumped up and threw her arms round Mary's neck, declaring that now they would enjoy themselves. 'We are very late,' she added, 'but these late walks make the little people sleep, and I think it is better for them than tossing about, hot and cross.'
Mary was rather entertained at this new code, but said nothing, as Carey pointed out to the children how they were to occupy themselves under Janet's charge, and the work they had to do showed that for their age they had lost no time.
The drawing-room showed indeed a contrast to the chaotic state in which it had been left. It was wonderfully pleasant-looking. The windows of the deep bay were all open to the lawn, shaded with blinds projecting out into the garden, where the parrot sat perched on her pole; pleasant nooks were arranged in the two sides of the bay
