The crowd were in an excellent humour, and did not mind when the policeman somewhat roughly pushed them back. All things considered, they enjoyed themselves quite as well as the people who went into the house, they were not jealous or envious in the least. Standing in front of this motley crowd, so much in front that the brilliant gaslight fell full upon their eager upturned faces, might have been seen a tall girl of about sixteen, and two boys a little younger. The girl was very upright, quite clean in her person, and not only neat, but picturesque in her dress. A many-coloured cotton scarf was twisted in the form of a turban round her head; a large apron of the same material nearly covered her black dress. On her arm she carried a large flat basket filled with roses, narcissus, forget-me-nots, and other summer flowers. Her eyes were very dark and bright, her hair black, her complexion a pure olive. She was not only a handsome girl, but her whole effect was intensely foreign and picturesque. Her carriage was so upright, her simple pose so stately, that one or two ladies and some of the men who were going into the mansion were attracted by her appearance, and remarked her to one another. The girl gazed after them, her black eyes wide-open, her lips slightly parted, an eager, hungry expression all over her face. The two boys who stood with her kept nudging each other, and whispering together, and making remarks, some under their breath, some out loud, with regard to the gay company who were going into the house. The girl never spoke. Even when her brothers pushed her roughly, she only moved a little away from them in absolute silence. "I say, Jill,"--the elder of the lads gave the young flower girl a more violent shove than usual--"be yer goin' to stay here all night? Most of the folks have come by now, I reckon, and we'd best be moving on; there's going to be no end of fun presently at that big house over there by the corner." Jill shook herself, stared eagerly at the speaker, and then said, in a quick, impassioned voice, "I never see'd nothing like this afore, Bob. Sech dresses, sech faces. Oh, the light and grandeur of it all! I've pictured it of course lots and lots o' times, but I never see'd it afore." "I told yer it 'ud be fine," replied Bob; "come on, you'll see more of the same sort at the big house at the corner. You take my 'and, Jill, and let us run. We'll get in front of the crowd ef we are quick." "No," said Jill, "I don't want to see no other crowd. There were angels and princes and princesses going into that 'ere house. I don't want to see nothink more--my head's full o' the sight, and my eyes sort o' dazzled. I'm goin' 'ome now to mother; I ha' a power o' news to tell her." She turned away as she spoke, moving quickly through the crowd with her free, stately step.