“One dollar,” said Rosie.

“One dollar, indeed!  We could never afford to let it go at so low a figure; we can’t sell this elegant and desirable article of ladies’ attire so ridiculously low.”

“Ten dollars,” said Maud.

“Ten dollars, ten dollars!  This elegant and costly piece of lace going at ten dollars!” cried the auctioneer, holding it higher still and waving it to and fro.  “Who bids higher?  It is worth ten times that paltry sum; would be dirt cheap at twenty.  Somebody bid twenty; don’t let such a chance escape you; you can’t expect to have another such.  Who bids?  Who bids?”

“Fifteen,” bid Zoe.

“Fifteen, fifteen! this lace veil, worth every cent of a hundred dollars, going at fifteen?  Who bids higher?  Now’s your chance; you can’t have it much longer.  Going, going at fifteen dollars—­this elegant veil, worth a cool hundred.  Who bids higher?  Going, going at fifteen dollars, not a quarter of its value.  Will nobody bid higher?  Going, going, gone!”

“Can’t,” exclaimed several of the audience, as the veil was handed to Zoe, and the whole company of players retired.

They shortly returned, all dressed in shabby clothing, some with wallets on their backs, some with old baskets on their arms, an unmistakable troop of beggars, passing round among the spectators with whining petitions for cold victuals and pennies.

A low growl instantly followed by a loud, fierce bark, startled players and spectators alike, and called forth a slight scream from some of the little ones.

“That auld dog o’ mine always barks at sic a troop o’ mendicants,” remarked Cousin Ronald quietly.  “I ken mendicant’s the word, lads and lasses, and ye hae acted it out wi’ commendable ingenuity and success.”

“You couldn’t have made a better guess if you had belonged to the universal Yankee nation, cousin,” laughed Herbert.

They retired again and in a few minutes Eva and Lulu came in dressed in travelling attire, each with a satchel in her hand.

“This must be the place, I think,” said Eva, glancing from side to side, “but there seems to be no one in.”

“They may be in directly,” said Lulu, “let us sit down and rest in these comfortable looking chairs, while we wait.”

They seated themselves, and as they did so, Zoe and Maud walked in.

They too were dressed as travelers, and carried satchels.  The four shook hands, Zoe remarking, “So you got in here before us!  How did you come?”

“In the stage,” answered Lulu.

“Ah! one travels so slowly in that!  We came in the cars,” said Maud.

“Yes,” said Zoe; “in the train that just passed.”

“Let us go back in the cars, Lu,” said Eva.

“Yes; in the same train they take.  Oh! who is this coming?  He acts like a crazy man!” as Frank Dinsmore entered, gesticulating wildly, rolling his eyes and acting altogether very much like a madman.