Their aunt had been the means of sending them
to a good school, and they had a much more trained and less homely
appearance than Jessie at the same age, and seemed able to take their
part in conversation with their cousins, though Essie was manifestly
afraid of her aunt. They had always been fond of Barbara, and took
eager possession of her, while John's Oxford talk was welcome to
all,-—and it was a joyous evening of interchange of travellers'
anecdotes and local and family news, but without any remarkable
feature till the time came for the cousins to return. They had
absolutely implored not to be sent home in the carriage, but to walk
across the park in the moonlight; and it was such a lovely night that
when Bobus and Jock took up their hats to come with them, Babie
begged to go too, and the same desire strongly possessed her mother,
above all when John said, "Do come, Mother Carey;" and "rowed her in
a plaidie."
That youthful inclination to frolic had come on her, and she only
waited to assure herself that Armine did not partake of her madness,
but was wisely going to bed. Allen was holding out a scarf to
Elvira, but she protested that she hated moonlight, and that it was a
sharp frost, and she went back to the fire.
As they went down the steps in the dark shadow of the house, John
gave his aunt his arm, and she felt that he liked to have her leaning
on him, as they walked in the strong contrasts of white light and
dark shade in the moonshine, and pausing to look at the wonderful
snowy appearance of the white azaleas, the sparkling of the fountain,
and the stars struggling out in the pearly sky; but John soon grew
silent, and after they had passed the garden, said—-
"Aunt Caroline, if you don't mind coming on a little way, I want to
ask you something.
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