B

CHAPTER XXVI.

'I see the jewel best enamelled

Will lose his beauty; and though gold bides still
That others touch, yet often touching will
Wear gold; and so no man that hath a name
But falsehood and corruption doth it shame.'

O wait one minute.

Please do!' cried Bel, as May

put her head in at the nursery the next morning on her way down to breakfast.

May did as she was requested, and Bel led her up to the window, to get out of hearing of Freddy, whom she evidently deemed unworthy of confidence.

For a minute the child's power of expressing herself seemed suspended from excitement; but soon recovering herself, she said,

'I know you won't tell. It is a great secret-it must not be anything in the least common, only we don't know a bit what.'

This delivery of herself not going far towards enlightening May as to the nature of the would-be request, she asked her to be more explicit; upon which Bel explained that they wanted to prepare some great surprise for brother Vero's birthday, and they thought she would tell them what.

Is it to be an ovation setting forth his military prowess, or

a triumphal progress? some warlike demonstration, or an embroidered smoking-cap and slippers?' asked May. 'What do you say to a genuflecting procession, and making him your shrine?'

Bel laughed merrily, satisfied with the interest evinced in the proposed plan, although not understanding the nature of the proposition, and contenting herself by saying that it must not be in the least common, followed May to the door, and extorted from her a promise that she would come to them again directly after breakfast.

As it was a general holiday, and the nursery party had free access to the school-room, that was fixed upon for the place of consultation. May soon joined them there, and as the centre of an eager group of delighted listeners, was elaborating a programme for Vero's birthday fête, when Willy interrupted her by saying,

'I don't see how you can have a triumphal procession. Where are your sheep, or bulls, for sacrifice? Where is your chariot, garment of state, and coronet? Where are your senators, and great men, and soldiers with rewards? If you can't do it properly, I don't see the use of doing it at all.'

'We can make him a laurel crown,' said Con meekly, fearing their plan had received a knock on the head from which it would never recover.

'But in the lesser triumphs they used sometimes to go on foot, used they not?' asked May, laughing-(she had not read Horace, and humbly submitted to Willy as an authority.) 'We can give him a purple robe and myrtle crown, and erect an arch to his honour.'

'Who's to play the gentlemen and commonalty of Rome?' asked Willy.

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If we are put to the push, we might muster the servants, indoor and out: they would make a goodly company. We would not be daunted by a difficulty,' she returned, merrily. 'You mustn't forget that the soldiers used to salute their hero,' said Willy, won by her manner. 'I dare say Vero won't object to that part of it, if you're all going to play soldiers,' he added, mischievously.

'Perhaps May might not like to kiss Vero,' interposed Bel, gravely; or else the other part is very nice.'

'You are buzzing about Miss Shelley like a cloud of ephemera,' interrupted the gentleman whose taste was thus unceremoniously under discussion, and who at the moment entered the room with his mother.

'Don't allow them to trouble you,' said Mrs. Drummond, addressing May, while she looked with motherly pleasure at the eager little faces glowing with satisfaction. They evidently suppose you possess some talent they can appreciate.'

'Has anybody seen Goppo?' asked Aunt Jane, bustling in. 'He's not in his cage, and is nowhere to be found! I should not wonder if he's gone away altogether, resenting the treatment he met with yesterday.'

'We'll go and seize him, and bring him back a captive in chains,' replied Freddy, catching the spirit of the previous conversation. 'We'll show him that we won't have any monkey tricks here.' And with a business-like air he made his way out of the room, followed by the rest of the young party, to return again a minute after.

'Here he is! just hidden under the stand of his cage!' he soon exclaimed, breathlessly producing the culprit. 'Dmenjus fuss to make! As bad as the life-boat at Llandudno. There they brought it out, and put it on wheels, and it raced through

the town with crowds and crowds after it, and when it was launched, all the people stood watching it through their glasses, and no one could eat their breakfast, because they were so sorry for the ship in distress, and just as the boat got to it, and everybody was so glad, it made a sort of bow and moved off -there was nothing the matter after all! That was a dmenjus fuss about nothing, and so is this!'

Master Freddy was decidedly precocious for seven years old. He spoke with earnest importance, never taking breath until he had arrived at the end of his sentence, although colouring with the effort required for so unbroken a delivery.

Vero, by way of bringing him to order (pointed to an insect creeping over some flowers that were waiting to be arranged) interrupted him by asking,

'Because your tongue is as long as your body!'

The children were glad to begin work, and led May away in triumph to the farther end of the room. She had already given an impetus to their plan, and they were longing to be engaged upon it.

'By way of commencement, you may string together yards and yards of laurel leaves,' she said, decidedly. The log-house at the end of the rose walk is not convertible into a triumphal arch; but we will have an arch half-way up, and twist the pillars both of that and the temple with leaves, as they are twisted in stone at a pretty little chapel there is at Roslyn.'

'I've come to volunteer aid in the staff,' said Vero, interrupting them: 'I suppose I may be admitted a member of council?'

'Go away! Oh, do leave us-do not come!' said Bel, deprecating his interference.

TRIUMPHAL PREPARATIONS.

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'We want to be by ourselves this morning,' explained Edith, pleadingly.

Vero looked unwilling, but did the agreeable by leaving the

room.

'All the novelty of our plan will consist in the carrying out,' said May, when they were alone. Something very pretty should be done in mottoes. I should like them to be formed in flowers of red, white, and blue; but blue flowers are so difficult to get in any quantity, and we have not much time to lose. If Frances, Nora, and Edith will make the wreaths, Bel, Con, and Freddy can gather and sort the leaves. There is nothing like a division of labour,' she added, feeling herself to be the responsible head of the more youthful party, and that she must be methodical.

'What am I to do?' asked Willy, a little indignant at not having been invited to take part in the proceedings.

'I was not sure you would care to help us,' returned May, who had been impressed with his exalted notions of what was necessary for the carrying out of her plan. Could you help us with some flags?'

'How many do you want? and what sort?' was the prompt reply.

Don't you think they should be confined to the English, French, and Sardinian?' she asked, deferring to his opinion. 'If you will help us with flags, our canopy will be perfect; for the rose walk is just in perfection.'

Bel sidled up to her, and kissed her: it was so delightful to have her scheme thus ably abetted, and she was feeling very grateful to her; and Willy, who would have preferred having the kiss himself, told her 'not to be troublesome,-it was so stupid to see girls kissing girls.' Then he left them to talk to some of