These two can go round the park by
themselves, can't they ?"
"Those are the most comical pair of children," said Fordham,
laughing, as the carriage moved on. "Will Esther ever make a serene
highness?"
"It is not in her," said Babie. "It might have been in Jessie, if
her General was not such a horrid old martinet as to hinder the
development; but Essie is much nicer as she is."
Meantime, Fordham's fingers were on the knot of the string of his
parcel.
"Oh, you are going to peep in? I am so glad."
"Since mamma is not here to laugh at me."
"You'll tell her you did it to please the Babie!"
"There, it is you that are doing it now," as her vigorous little
fingers plucked far more effectively at the cord than his thin weak
ones.
Out came at last one of the choice dark green books, with a clematis
wreath stamped on the cover, and it was put into Barbara's lap.
"How pretty! This is mother's own design for the title-page! And
oh—-how capital! Dr. Medlicott's sketch of the mud baths, with Jock
shrinking into a corner out of the way of the fat Grafin! You have
everything. Here is Armine's Easter hymn!"
"I wished to commemorate the whole range of feeling," said Fordham.
"I see; you have even picked out the least ridiculous chapter of
Jotapata.
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