up, but her whole heart made new.  She did not say much at tea; she did not formally apologise to Fred for her conduct to him.  He looked very cross, so perhaps it was wiser to act rather than to speak; but she handed him the bread and butter, and buttered him a piece of toast, and in many little quiet ways told him she wished to be friends with him.  John began at her frock again.  She could not laugh, (she was not in a laughing humour,) but she said she would not wear it any more, during his holidays, if he disliked it so very much.  The greatest trial to her temper was the being told she looked cross.  Emilie, who could see the sun of peace behind the cloud, was half angry herself at this speech, and said to Mr. Parker, “If she looks cross she is not cross, Sir, but I think she is not in very good spirits.  Every one looks a little sad sometimes;” and Mr. Porker, happily, being called out to a patient at that moment, gave Edith opportunity to swallow her grief.

After tea the boys prepared to accompany their sister and her governess in the usual evening walk.  Edith did not desire their company, but she did not say so; and they all went out very silent for them.  On their road to the beach they met a man who had a cage of canaries to sell, the very things that Fred had desired so long, and to purchase which he had saved his money.

Edith had no taste for noisy canaries; few great talkers have, for they do interrupt conversation must undeniably, but Fred thought it would be most delightful to have them, and as he had a breeding cage which had belonged to one of his elder sisters years before, he asked the price and began to make his bargain.  The birds were bought and the man dispatched to the house with them, with orders to call for payment at nine o’clock, before Fred remembered that he did not exactly know where he should keep them.  In the sitting room it would be quite out of the question he knew, for the noise would distract his mother.  Papa was not likely to admit canaries into his study for consultations; and Fred knew only of one likely or possible place, but the door to that was closed, unless he could find a door to Edith’s heart, and he had just quarrelled with Edith; what a pity!  To make it up with her, however, just to gain his point, he was too proud to do, and was therefore gloomy and uncivil.

“Where are you going to keep your canaries Fred?” asked his sister.

“In the cage,” said Fred, shortly and tartly.

“Yes; but in what room?”

“In my bed-room,” said Fred.

“Oh, I dare say! will you though?” said John, who as he shared his brother’s apartment had some right to have a voice in the matter.  “I am not going to be woke at daylight every morning by your canaries.  And such an unwholesome plan; I am sure papa and mamma won’t let you.  What a pity you bought the birds! you can’t keep them in our small house.  Get off your bargain, I would if I were you.  Besides, who will take care of them all the week? they will want feeding other days besides Saturdays, I suppose.”