“You don’t mean that you gave up bully Bottom?” “Yes, I do; but you need not resign your asses’ ears. You shall wear them in the character of King Midas.” “I think,” said the ungrateful Fred, “that you might as well have given it all up together as Bottom.” “No, no; just think what capabilities there are in Midas. We will decidedly make him King of California, and I’ll be the priestess of Apollo; there is an old three-legged epergne-stand that will make a most excellent tripod. And only think of the whispering into the reeds, ‘King Midas has the ears of an ass.’ I would have made more of a fight for Bottom, if that had not come into my head.” “But you will have nothing to do.” “That helped to conciliate. I promised we girls should appear very little, and for the sake of effect, I had rather Henrietta broke on the world in all her beauty at the end. I do look forward to seeing her as Queen Eleanor; she will look so regal.” Fred smiled, for he delighted in his sister’s praises. “You are a wondrous damsel, busy one,” said he, “to be content to play second fiddle.” “Second fiddle! As if I were not the great moving spring! Trust me, you would never write yourself down an ass but for the Queen Bee. How shall we ever get your ears from Allonfield? Saturday night, and only till Monday evening to do everything in!” “Oh, you will do it,” said Fred. “I wonder what you and Henrietta cannot do between you! Oh, there is Uncle Geoffrey come in,” he exclaimed, as he heard the front door open. “And I must go and dress,” said Beatrice, seized with a sudden haste, which did not speak well for the state of her conscience. Uncle Geoffrey was in the hall, taking off his mud-bespattered gaiters. “So you are entered with the vermin, Fred,” called he, as the two came out of the drawing-room. “O how we wished for you, Uncle Geoffrey! but how did you hear it?” “I met Alex just now. Capital sport you must have had. Are you only just come in?” “No, we were having a consultation about the charades,” said Fred; “the higher powers consent to our having them on Monday.” “Grandmamma approving?” asked Uncle Geoffrey. “O yes,” said Fred, in all honesty, “she only objected to our taking a regular scene in a play, and ‘coming it as strong’ as we did the other night; so it is to be all extemporary, and it will do famously.”