“A fellow can be awfully hungry, I know that.  I didn’t half eat breakfast, I was in such a hurry to see you, and know all about the secrets.  Frank kept saying I couldn’t guess, that you had come, and I never would be ready, till finally I got mad and fired an egg at him, and made no end of a mess.”

Jack and Jill went off into a gale of laughter at the idea of dignified Frank dodging the egg that smashed on the wall, leaving an indelible mark of Jack’s besetting sin, impatience.

Just then Mrs. Minot came in, well pleased to hear such pleasant sounds, and to see two merry faces, where usually one listless one met her anxious eyes.

“The new medicine works well, neighbor,” she said to Mrs. Pecq, who followed with the lunch tray.

“Indeed it does, mem.  I feel as if I’d taken a sup myself, I’m that easy in my mind.”

And she looked so, too, for she seemed to have left all her cares in the little house when she locked the door behind her, and now stood smiling with a clean apron on, so fresh and cheerful, that Jill hardly knew her own mother.

“Things taste better when you have someone to eat with you,” observed Jack, as they devoured sandwiches, and drank milk out of little mugs with rosebuds on them.

“Don’t eat too much, or you won’t be ready for the next surprise,” said his mother, when the plates were empty, and the last drop gone down throats dry with much chatter.

“More surprises!  Oh, what fun!” cried Jill.  And all the rest of the morning, in the intervals of talk and play, they tried to guess what it could be.

At two o’clock they found out, for dinner was served in the Bird Room, and the children revelled in the simple feast prepared for them.  The two mothers kept the little bed-tables well supplied, and fed their nurslings like maternal birds, while Frank presided over the feast with great dignity, and ate a dinner which would have astonished Mamma, if she had not been too busy to observe how fast the mince pie vanished.

“The girls said Christmas was spoiled because of us; but I don’t think so, and they won’t either, when they see this splendid place and know all about our nice plans,” said Jill, luxuriously eating the nut-meats Jack picked out for her, as they lay in Eastern style at the festive board.

“I call this broken bones made easy.  I never had a better Christmas.  Have a raisin?  Here’s a good fat one.”  And Jack made a long arm to Jill’s mouth, which began to sing “Little Jack Horner” as an appropriate return.

“It would have been a lonesome one to all of us, I’m thinking, but for your mother, boys.  My duty and hearty thanks to you, mem,” put in grateful Mrs. Pecq, bowing over her coffee-cup as she had seen ladies bow over their wine-glasses at dinner parties in Old England.

“I rise to propose a health, Our Mothers.”  And Frank stood up with a goblet of water, for not even at Christmas time was wine seen on that table.