"She is an amazing person!" said Henrietta. "Is she eighty yet?"

"Seventy-nine," said Beatrice; "and grandpapa eighty-two. I always say I think we should get the prize in a show of grandfathers and grandmothers, if there was one like Uncle Roger's fat cattle shows. You know she thinks nothing of walking twice to church on a Sunday, and all over the village besides when there is anybody ill. But here is the Sutton Leigh path. Let me see if those boys are to be trusted. Yes, yes, that's right! Capital!" cried she in high glee; "here is Birnam wood coming across the field." And springing on one of the bars of the gate near the top, she flourished her handkerchief, chanting or singing,

"Greet thee well, thou holly green, Welcome, welcome, art thou seen, With all thy glittering garlands bending, As to greet my--quick descending:"

she finished in an altered tone, as she was obliged to spring precipitately down to avoid a fall. "It made a capital conclusion, however, though not quite what I had proposed. Well, gentlemen," as four or five of the boys came up, each bearing a huge holly bush--"Well, gentlemen, you are a sight for sair een."

"With sair fingers, you mean," said Fred; "these bushes scratch like half a dozen wild cats."

"It is in too good a cause for me to pity you," said Beatrice.

"Nor would I accept it if you would," said Fred.

His sister, however, seemed determined on bestowing it whether he would or not,--"How your hands are bleeding! Have you any thorns in them? Let me see, I have my penknife."

"Stuff!" was Fred's gracious reply, as he glanced at Alex and Carey.

"But why did you not put on your gloves?" proceeded Henrietta.

"Gloves, nonsense!" said Fred, who never went without them at Rocksand.

"He will take up the gauntlet presently," said Beatrice. "By the by, Alex, how many pairs of gloves have you had or lost in your life?"

"O, I always keep a pair for Sundays and for Allonfield," said Alex.

"Jessie says she will never let me drive her again without them," said Carey, "but trust me for that: I hate them, they are such girl's things; I tell her then she can't be driven."

Fred could not bear to hear of Carey's driving, a thing which he had not yet been permitted to attempt, and he hastily broke in, "You have not told the news yet."

"What news?"

"The Euphrosyne is coming home," cried the boys with one voice. "Had we not told you? The Euphrosyne is coming home, and Roger may be here any day!"

"That is something like news," said Queen Bee; "I thought it would only be that the puppies could see, or that Tom's tooth was through.

Grandpapa has not heard it?"

"Papa is going up to tell him," said John. "I was going too, only Alex bagged me to carry his holly-bush."

"And so the great Rogero is coming home!" said Beatrice. "How you will learn to talk sea slang! And how happy grandmamma will be, especially if he comes in time for her great affair. Do you hear, Alex? you must practise your steps, for grandmamma is going to give a grand party, Careys and Evanses, and all, on purpose to gratify Fred's great love of dancing."

"I love dancing?" exclaimed Fred, in a tone of astonishment and contempt.

"Why, did you not look quite enraptured at breakfast when it was proposed? I expected you every moment to ask the honour of my hand for the first quadrille, but I suppose you leave it for Philip Carey!"

"If it comes at all you must start me, Bee," said Alex, "for I am sure I can't dance with any one but you."

"Let me request it now," said Fred, "though why you should think I like dancing I cannot imagine! I am sure nothing but your Majesty can make it endurable."

"There are compliments to your Majesty," cried Henrietta, laughing; "one will not or cannot dance at all without her, the other cannot find it endurable! I long to see which is to be gratified."

"Time will show," said Beatrice; "I shall ponder on their requests, and decide maturely, Greek against Prussian, lover of the dance against hater of the dance."

"I don't love it, I declare," exclaimed Fred.

"I don't mind it, if you dance with me," said Alex.

And Beatrice was in her glory, teasing them both, and feeling herself the object of attention to both.

Flirtation is not a pleasant word, and it is one which we are apt to think applies chiefly to the manners of girls, vain of their personal appearance, and wanting in sense or education. Beatrice would have thought herself infinitely above it; but what else was her love of attention, her delight in playing off her two cousins against each other? Beauty, or the consciousness of beauty, has little to do with it.

Henrietta, if ever the matter occurred to her, could not help knowing that she was uncommonly pretty, yet no one could be more free from any tendency to this habit. Beatrice knew equally well that she was plain, but that did not make the least difference; if any, it was rather on the side of vanity, in being able without a handsome face, so to attract and engross her cousins. It was amusing, gratifying, flattering, to feel her power to play them off, and irritate the little feelings of jealousy which she had detected; and thoughtless as to the right or wrong, she pursued her course.

On reaching the church they found that, as was usual with her, she had brought them before any one was ready; the doors were locked, and they had to wait while Carey and John went to old Martha's to fetch the key.

In a few minutes more Mr. Franklin arrived, well pleased to see them ready to fulfil their promise; the west door was opened, and disclosed a huge heap of holly laid up under the tower, ready for use.

The first thing the boys did was to go up into the belfry, and out on the top of the tower, and Busy Bee had a great mind to follow them; but she thought it would not be fair to Mr. Franklin, and the wide field upon which she had to work began to alarm her imagination.

Before the boys came down again, she had settled the plan of operations with Henrietta and Mr. Franklin, dragged her holly bushes into the aisle, and brought out her knife and string. They came down declaring that they could be of no use, and they should go away, and Beatrice made no objection to the departure of Carey and Johnny, who, as she justly observed, would be only in the way; but she insisted on keeping Fred and Alex.

"Look at all those pillars! How are we ever to twine them by ourselves?

Look at all those great bushes! How are we to lift them? No, no, indeed, we cannot spare you, Fred. We must have some stronger hands to help us, and you have such a good eye for this sort of thing."

Had Alexander gone, Fred would have found some excuse for following him, rather than he should leave him with young ladies, doing young ladies'

work; but, as Beatrice well knew, Alex would never withdraw his a.s.sistance when she asked Fred's, and she felt secure of them both.

"There, Alex, settle that ladder by the screen, please. Now will you see if there is anything to tie a piece of string to? for it is of no use to make a festoon if we cannot fasten it."

"I can't see anything."

"Here, give me your hand, and I'll look." Up tripped the little Bee, just holding by his hand. "Yes, to be sure there is! Here is a great rough nail sticking out. Is it firm? Yes, capitally. Now, Alex, make a sailor's knot round it. Help me down first though--thank you. Fred, will you trim that branch into something like shape. You see how I mean. We must have a long drooping wreath of holly and ivy, to blend with the screen. How tough this ivy is! Thank you--that's it. Well, Mr. Franklin, I hope we shall get on in time."

Mr. Franklin was sure of it; and seeing all actively employed, and himself of little use, he took his leave for the present, hoping that the Misses Langford would not tire themselves.

Angels' work is Church decoration--work fit for angels, that is to say; but how pure should be the hands and hearts engaged in it! Its greatness makes it solemn and awful. It is work immediately for the glory of G.o.d; it is work like that of the children who strewed the palm-branches before the steps of the Redeemer! Who can frame in imagination a more favoured and delightful occupation, than that of the four young creatures who were, in very deed, greeting the coming of their Lord with those bright and glistening wreaths with which they were adorning His sanctuary?

Angels' work! but the angels veil their faces and tremble; and we upon earth have still greater cause to tremble and bow down in awful reverence, when we are allowed to approach so near His shrine. And was that spirit of holy fear--that sole desire for His glory--the chief thought with these young people?

Not that there was what even a severe judge could call irreverence in word or deed; there was no idle laughter, and the conversation was in a tone and a style which showed that they were all well trained in respect for the sanct.i.ty of the place. Even in all the helping up and down ladders and steps, in the reaching over for branches, in all the little mishaps and adventures that befell them, their behaviour was outwardly perfectly what it ought to have been; and that is no small praise for four young people, under seventeen, left in church alone together for so many hours.

But still Beatrice's great aim was, unconsciously perhaps, to keep the two boys entirely devoted to herself, and to exert her power. Wonderful power it was in reality, which kept them interested in employment so little accordant with their nature; kept them amused without irreverence, and doing good service all the time. But it was a power of which she greatly enjoyed the exercise, and which did nothing to lessen the rivalry between them. As to Henrietta, she was sitting apart on a ha.s.sock, very happy, and very busy in arranging the Monogram and wreath which she had yesterday proposed. She was almost forgotten by the other three--certainly neglected--but she did not feel it so; she had rather be quiet, for she could not work and talk like Queen Bee; and she liked to think over the numerous verses and hymns that her employment brought to her mind. Uncle Geoffrey's conversation dwelt upon her too; she began to realize his meaning, and she was especially anxious to fulfil his desire, by entreating Fred to beware of temptations to disobedience.

Opportunities for private interviews were, however, very rare at Knight Sutton, and she had been looking forward to having him all to herself here, when he must wish to visit his father's grave with her. She was vexed for a moment that his first attention was not given to it; but she knew that his first thought was there, and boys never showed what was uppermost in their minds to anyone but their sisters. She should have him by and by, and the present was full of tranquil enjoyment.

If Henrietta had been free from blame in coming to Knight Sutton at all, or in her way of leaving the house this morning, there would have been little or no drawback to our pleasure in contemplating her.

"Is it possible!" exclaimed Queen Bee, as the last reverberation of the single stroke of the deep-toned clock fell quivering on her ear. "I thought you would have given us at least eleven more."

"What a quant.i.ty remains to be done!" sighed Henrietta, laying down the wreath which she had just completed. "Your work looks beautiful, Queenie, but how shall we ever finish?"