"Charlie! Charlie! three horns!" "All honorable horns! hurra! I'm the only one with horns!" "You'll soon have companions in misfortune," said Mary, laughing. "Good morning, genteel lady, ever genteel," said Gertrude, bowing to Alice, "I, a genteel lady, ever genteel, come from that three-horned gentleman, ever three-horned, to say that he owns a little dog with hair on its back, a red tongue in its mouth, two ears on its head, a bone between its teeth, and a tail a yard long." "Good morning, she said! that's one horn!" cried the other children. "Good evening, genteel gentleman, ever genteel," said Alice, reverently bowing to John Wyndham, "I, a genteel lady, ever genteel, come from that one-horned lady, ever one-horned, to say that she owns a little dog with hair on its back, a red tongue in its mouth, a bone between its teeth, a fell a yard long, and three legs and a half." "You left out two ears on its head! a horn!" "I'm resigned," said Alice, "gentility seems to be at a discount." So the game went on, becoming every moment more difficult and more ludicrous--as Charlie called it, more _trippy_--and by the time it went round the second time, none escaped the horns. Any thing will do for the genteel lady to own, and it makes it more agreeable to vary it each time it is played: for instance, an eagle with a golden beak, silver claws, diamond eyes, ostrich feathers, bird-of-paradise tail, a crown on its head, a diamond ring on its thumb, a gold chain round its neck, a pocket-handkerchief in its hand, and any other nonsense you can string together. A lady's etagere or what-not would be a good medium for collecting together absurdities--Mont Blanc at the top, a gridiron below, a gold thimble at the side, the poets in a corner, a breakfast set on one shelf, a card-case above, a smelling-bottle at the side, a work-box, a writing-desk, a piece of coral, etc. A _genteel_ lady's description of her mansion--certainly an extraordinary one--would be suitable; a modern-built house, with a _porto-ricco_ in front, and a _pizarro_ in the rear, a summer-house _contagious_, and _turpentine_ walks, etc. Being now weary of games, Amy proposed that they should vary their pleasures by a tale, which gained the general approval; and Ellen Green was commissioned to relate it. Ever ready to oblige, she told them she would, if they chose a subject. "What sort of a story will you have?" "An Indian story!" exclaimed the younger boys. "Do tell us about some great historical character--Washington, or King Alfred, or Napoleon Bonaparte, or some other hero!" cried John Wyndham. "I go in for a very frightful ghost-story, that will make our hair stand on end, and make the girls afraid to go to bed!" said his brother George. "Tell us a romantic narrative about a knight going to the Crusades, and his fair lady following him in the disguise of a page!" said Alice Bolton.