Left to Ourselves Part 33

"Isn't it a nice little room?"

"Very. I wonder mother never thought of it before."

"Hurrah!" exclaimed Hugh. "Now, Agnes, you'll not mend that; it's as good as a whole volume of permission. Let's go down to dinner after that."

But as they went down John said to her:

"You're not really vexed, dear girl?"

"No, dear," she answered, looking up brightly. "If you are pleased, I'm sure mother will not mind till she has time to think about it. But, John, the dirt----"

"Oh, that'll come all right," said John.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XXI.

_THE MAGIC OF LOVE._

The next morning everything was bustle till the boys were off; for imperceptibly they had got a little later during holiday time, and on this first day of school they discovered it, in finding no breakfast ready when they came down.

But by dint of a little hurrying, and a decidedly short meal for the boys, they really did start in time.

"Thanks to you girls," said John gratefully, as he caught up his books and ran off. "My last term at school, Agnes!"

"Now here we are once more," said Agnes with a deep sigh, gazing round on the room, which looked ever so much more empty than if her brothers had just started for an ordinary walk.

"Now I suppose _we_ have to begin school?" said Alice with a wry face.

But the wry face was put on, and the frown was gone--gone from her heart too; for yesterday she had looked once more at the text on the wall, and had yielded herself again to its influence.

"I was thinking," answered Agnes, "that we would give ourselves a holiday to do John's room."

"Jolly!" exclaimed Minnie. "I can clean and scrub beautifully; Jane says I can."

"We must all help to surprise him, for they will be home at one, and we have plenty of work before us."

"What shall we begin on?" asked Alice.

"I have to do a very quick piece of business, which if you like you may come up to the top to superintend; and then, Alice, I want you to go round to the picture-frame shop in Southampton Street, and tell the man I will send for it at eleven o'clock."

She ran upstairs without explaining further, followed by the wondering girls; and then they saw her take down John's cardboard text very carefully, and wrap it in paper.

"Now, Alice, as fast as you like there and back; and Minnie must go with you."

"But you will do ever so much before we come," said Alice, looking disappointed.

"No; I am going down to see about the dinner, and if you are not long will wait till you return."

"But will the man understand what is to be done?"

"Yes; I went about it yesterday, and I told him it was a secret, and so he would have to do it expeditiously."

"I see. Well, come along Minnie, the sooner we are off the sooner we shall be home."

In half an hour's time they were back, and met Agnes coming up from her confabulations with the cook.

"Just in time," she said, smiling.

"Should you have begun without us?" asked Minnie.

"Not till ten."

"That's all right. Now then, Agnes, what are we to do?"

"Go down and ask Jane for some cloths, and brooms, and a tin basin."

Minnie opened her eyes, but Alice ran off.

They met Jane on the stairs with a pail and scrubbing-brush. "Are you going to help us?" asked Alice; and Jane nodded with a smile.

Up they all went, and found a bright little fire burning in the already clean grate of John's little attic.

"Oh!" exclaimed Alice; "whoever thought of that? What's it for?"

"What are fires generally for?" asked Agnes.

"To warm people," said Minnie.

"And don't you think we should feel it rather cold to be up here for three hours, straight off, this bitter day?"

"So we should. Well, Agnes, what first?"

"Jane is to properly clean that smeary window; and we will wash the chest of drawers and the washstand and the crockery while she is doing it."

"Whatever for?"

"To get off the dirt," laughed Agnes.

"I can't think why things get dirty!"

"It's London smoke," remarked Alice sententiously.