for once we kiss him, and I at least feel that I love him. And now the last forgotten parasol is handed in, the last servant has climbed with many a creak to her place on the roof, the coachman cracks his whip. "Chirrup, chirrup," go the canaries. "Hip, hip, hur-r-r-ah!" goes Paul Pry. "Bow-wow!' barks Pepper, wriggling her head out between Jack's legs.
"Oh!" says Dolly, with a deep sigh.
"Balmy!" I ejaculate, pushing my hat to the back of my head; and away we go, nodding and smiling, and saying good-bye, good-bye! to the little gentleman on the door-steps, who somehow looks quite insignificant and a little forlorn now that he is not the centre of a dozen duteous white slaves.
"We are off!" says Alice.
"We are dreadfully hungry!" sigh Dolly and Alan, pointing their prophetic noses at a bulging hamper that obtrudes its portly body in an uncomfortable way between nurse and Balaam's Ass, the under nursemaid. It is only eight o'clock, and we had breakfast at seven, and it is rather early to be setting out; but when everybody is so anxious to start, so ready to go, why should there be any unnecessary tarrying? Yoicks! away we go, along the dewy, bloomy lanes, between the fresh, green hedgerows, with the early breath of the morning blowing coolly in on our happy, eager faces; past the staring, silent cows, and the dull labourers who, poor souls, are going about their work just as on any other day, who are not tasting our first delicious, strange draught of "going away!" We feel like pilgrims setting out for an unknown land; we do not know what is before us, whether of sweet or sour, but that it will be something very different from anything we have ever known before, we are perfectly certain, and that is enough for us. Jack pooh-poohs our transports, and pretends to have seen everything that we observe before, which is not right of him, for I know he goes to school in quite an opposite direction, and by train;
