"Yes'm, there is sumpin happened," spoke up Fly from the floor, where she sat with "chestnuts in her lap, and munched, and munched, and munched." "I've had the fever, but I didn't die in it."
"She wasn't much sick, auntie; but it frightened us. Mrs. Fixfax rolled her up six yards deep in blankets, and we thought 'what is home without a mother?' And then, you see, I didn't know the least thing about cooking, for all I pretended. I tell you, auntie, it's very different not to have anybody to ask how to do things."
"Such messes, you ought to seen 'em, auntie," struck in Dotty, without the least pity.
"Pshaw! we didn't starve, nor anywhere near it," cried Horace. "I wouldn't say anything, Dot, for Prue worked like a Trojan, and you dawdled round with rings on your thumbs."
At the mention of rings, Dotty blushed, and stole a glance at Mrs. Allen.
"See, auntie," said she, taking off her rosary, "this is my Christmas present; but it doesn't make me a Catholic--does it?"
"How beautiful, my child! A full rosary of one hundred and fifty beads. It is called 'a chaplet of spiritual roses.' Red, white, and damask. Pray, who could have given it to you?"
"A lady that ran away from Poland. Now don't you know? Sleeps with a feather bed over her, covered with satin."
"Mrs. Pragoff? You haven't been to her house?"
"Yes'm, we did, and to her church in Trinity; and she made a party for us, and we staid all night."
"That's a remarkable joke," said Colonel Allen, rubbing his hands. "She must have had a bee in her bonnet with all these rollicking children round her."
"No'm, she never; but I had the nosy-bleed on the _pew-quishon_ awful. Had to be tookened home. Didn't eat no supper."
"You don't tell me there was a scene in church," cried Aunt Madge, looking at Uncle Augustus, who rubbed his hands again, and laughed heartily. "How happened you to go, Horace?"
"It wasn't my doings, auntie. Topknot had been lying in a steam all night, and I told Mrs. Fixfax she wasn't fit to go out of the house; but no attention was paid to what _I_ said. Notice was served on me to take the little thing off visiting, and I had to obey. But I tell you I was thankful she didn't do anything worse than to bump her nose, though she did scream murder, and we followed her out in a straight line."