‘Some of the little Sponges come to see their pa, p’raps,’ lisped Miss Howard, pretending to be shocked after she had said it.

‘Bravo, Miss Howard!’ exclaimed Captain Cutitfat, clapping his hands.

‘I said nothing, Captain,’ observed the young lady with becoming prudery.

‘Here we are again!’ exclaimed Captain Quod, as a troop of various-sized urchins, in pea-jackets, with blue noses and red comforters, on very shaggy ponies, the two youngest swinging in panniers over an ass, drew up alongside of the first comers.

‘Whose sliding-scale of innocence is that, I wonder!’ exclaimed Miss Howard, contemplating the variously sized chubby faces through the window.

‘He, he, he! ho, ho, ho!’ giggled the guests.

Another batch of innocence now hove in sight.

‘Oh, those are the little (hiccup) Raws,’ observed Sir Harry, catching sight of the sky-blue collar of the servant’s long drab coat.  ’Good chap, old Johnny Raw; ask them to (hiccup) in,’ continued he, ’and give them some (hiccup) cherry brandy’; and thereupon Sir Harry began nodding and smiling, and making signs to them to come in.  The youngsters, however, maintained their position.

‘The little stupexes!’ exclaimed Miss Howard, going to the window, and throwing up the sash.  ‘Come in, young gents!’ cried she, in a commanding tone, addressing herself to the last comers.  ’Come in, and have some toffy and lollypops!  D’ye hear?’ continued she, in a still louder voice, and motioning her head towards the door.

The boys sat mute.

‘You little stupid monkeys,’ muttered she in an undertone, as the cold air struck upon her head.  ‘Come in, like good boys,’ added she in a louder key, pointing with her finger towards the door.

‘Nor, thenk ye!’ at last drawled the elder of the boys.

‘Nor, thenk ye!’ repeated Miss Howard, imitating the drawl.  ‘Why not?’ asked she sharply.

The boy stared stupidly.

‘Why won’t you come in?’ asked she, again addressing him.

‘Don’t know!’ replied the boy, staring vacantly at his younger brother, as he rubbed a pearl off his nose on the back of his hand.

‘Don’t know!’ ejaculated Miss Howard, stamping her little foot on the Turkey carpet.

‘Mar said we hadn’t,’ whined the younger boy, coming to the rescue of his brother.

‘Mar said we hadn’t!’ retorted the fair interrogator.  ‘Why not?’

‘Don’t know,’ replied the elder.

‘Don’t know! you little stupid animal,’ snapped Miss Howard, the cold air increasing the warmth of her temper.  ’I wonder what you do know.  Why did your ma say you were not to come in?’ continued she, addressing the younger one.

‘Because—­because,’ hesitated he, ’she said the house was full of trumpets.’

‘Trumpets, you little scamp!’ exclaimed the lady, reddening up; ’I’ll get a whip and cut your jacket into ribbons on your back.’  And thereupon she banged down the window and closed the conversation.