Halfpenny quiet by
shutting herself into the nursery to look over all the wardrobes, and
decide what was to 'go down' in the family, and what was to be given
away, and what must be absolutely renewed. It was an operation that
Mrs. Halfpenny enjoyed so much, that it warranted her to be deaf to
shrieks and trampling, and almost to forget the chances of gathers and
kilting being torn out, and trap-doors appearing in skirts and
pinafores.
All that time Dolores sat hunched up in her own room, reading 'Clare,
or No Home,' and realizing the persecutions suffered by that afflicted
child, who had just been nearly drowned in rescuing her wickedest
cousin, and was being carried into her noble grandfather's house, there
to be recognized by her golden hair being exactly the colour it was
when she was a baby.
There were horrible growlings at times outside her door, and she bolted
it by way of precaution. Once there was a bounce against it, but
Gillian's voice might be heard in the distance calling off the wolves.
Then came a lull. The wolves and bears had rushed up and down stairs
till they were quite exhausted and out of breath, especially as
Primrose had always been a cub, and gone in the arms of Hal or Gillian;
Fergus at last had rolled down three steps, and been caught by Wilfred,
who, in his character of bear, hugged and mauled him till his screams
grew violent. Harry had come to the rescue, and it was decided that
there had been enough of this, and that there should be a grand
exhibition of tableaux from the history of England in the dining-room,
which of course mamma was to guess, with the assistance of any one who
was not required to act.
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