Force of habit, however, made him confide all his plans and thoughts to Lottie, so that our private talks in the shrubbery were often interrupted by his merry voice.  Then he would throw himself down among the grass and periwinkles, and tell us all about his future ship.  This usually ended in Lottie’s being carried off to make sails or flags for his new craft.  Then, being left to myself, I soon ran off to my other cousins, nothing loath to have a game of romps with them.

Alick seemed likely to be my special friend.  What a funny little fellow he must have been, though I did not think so then!  Jane called him a little dandy, much to his displeasure; yet I am afraid his friendship was likely to increase my childish vanity.  He was so fond of decking me with flowers, making wreaths for me, and then looking at me, and sometimes comparing my hair or eyes with Lottie’s; and his look of vexation if my face was dirty or my pinafore torn, often comes back to me even now when I feel untidy in any way.

One afternoon, when Alick and I and one of the other boys were alone, it suddenly came into our wise little heads that we would play at going to a party.  What vast preparations we made!  What pains the boys took to tie up my sleeves with some bright ribbon meant for Harry’s flags!  How cleverly we succeeded in carrying off a hair-brush, and what a long time it took to decide how the boys’ hair and ties should be arranged!  And then came the flowers, my wreath, and the bouquet to be carried for me by one of my gentlemen.

We were all ready, I remember, and I was just taking Alick’s arm, and we had all put on our best airs and graces for a solemn entrance to the supposed ball-room, when, all of a sudden, who should come round the corner but Uncle Hugh and Harry!

[Illustration:  Going to A party.]

Oh, those bursts of laughter pealing out again and again!  Oh, the writhings and twistings of Uncle Hugh in his excessive mirth!  Would they ever stop laughing?  Even now my cheeks almost tingle with those painful blushes, and my heart beats with that frightened shame!

And yet it was for Alick that I was chiefly troubled, as I saw him fling down the flowers and run, while Harry, shouting “conceited young jackanapes,” pursued him at full speed.  I had never seen such rough play or heard such mocking laughter, and I burst into tears, sobbing out my trouble on my uncle’s shoulder as he carried me off and laughingly soothed me, pressing the prickly wreath all the while against my head.

It was a long time before our adventure was forgotten.  Harry’s merry jokes brought the colour over and over again to my face, and the angry words to Alick’s lips.  But we were both cured, certainly, for the time, of any love of display or dandyism!

VI.

WHAT ABOUT LESSONS?

And now, little reader, I know quite well what thought has been popping in and out of your head all this time.  You have been wanting to ask me what had become of lessons all these weeks, and how a number of little boys and girls could be allowed to run wild, doing just what they liked all day long.