Oh, I say, is this the book you told about, where the horses talked ?" asked Ben, suddenly recollecting the speech he had puzzled over ever since he heard it.
"No; I brought the book, but in the hurry of my tea-party forgot to unpack it.

I'll hunt it up to-night.

Remind me, Thorny." "There, now, I've forgotten something, too! Squire sent you a letter; and I'm having such a jolly time, I never thought of it." Ben rummaged out the note with remorseful haste, protesting that he was in no hurry for Mr.Gulliver, and very glad to save him for another day.
Leaving the young folks busy with their games, Miss Celia sat in the porch to read her letters, for there were two; and as she read her face grew so sober, then so sad, that if any one had been looking he would have wondered what bad news had chased away the sunshine so suddenly.

No one did look; no one saw how pitifully her eyes rested on Ben's happy face when the letters were put away, and no one minded the new gentleness in her manner as she came back, to the table.

But Ben thought there never was so sweet a lady as the one who leaned over him to show him how the dissected map went together and never smiled at his mistakes.
So kind, so very kind was she to them all, that when, after an hour of merry play, she took her brother in to bed, the three who remained fell to praising her enthusiastically as they put things to rights before taking leave.
"She's like the good fairies in the books, and has all sorts of nice, pretty things in her house," said Betty, enjoying a last hug of the fascinating doll whose lids would shut so that it was a pleasure to Sing, "Bye, sweet baby, bye," with no staring eyes to Spoil the illusion.
"What heaps she knows! More than Teacher, I do believe; and she doesn't mind how many questions we ask.