"A little before four, I think. Hugh and Alice, you have your scripture questions to do for father, haven't you?" "Yes," they answered. "Then, John, can you come in the drawing-room to do your writing? Minnie and I shall not disturb you." He got up and followed her upstairs, smiling as he went. Turning round on the first landing she saw the smile, and enquired: "Well?" "You're a good general," he said. "Why?" "Take care to separate your different regiments in case----" "John!" "Now, don't you?" "Not exactly----" "I know you!" "Well, come along; you cannot say that my generalship has not made you comfortable, anyhow." "I don't wish to. What a glorious fire, Agnes; and what a nice arm-chair; and what a jolly little table; and what a nice inkstand; and----" "There, John, leave off, or our afternoon will be gone; and those children will be up before we have had a moment's quiet." She seated herself on the sofa, at one side of the fire, Minnie curling herself up by her with her book, and Agnes opening her Bible and bending over it. Silence reigned for an hour; while John's pen scratched, and the leaves of his concordance turned over; and Agnes's eyes were fixed on one page, from which she hardly raised them, except to give Minnie an occasional caress, or to whisper something to her about her book. At last there was a stir downstairs. Chairs were pushed back; careful Alice put on some coal, that the fire might not be out when they returned to it; and then there was a rush, and the two came tearing up the stairs. "How jolly comfortable you look!" exclaimed Hugh. "We are," said John, preparing to close his book. "Any room on the sofa for a fellow?" asked Hugh. "Oh, yes! plenty." "Sit next me," said Minnie. "All right. I say, Agnes, how strange it will seem to have Christmas Day without them!" "Yes; but we can make it happy if we try," said Agnes. "How?" "By _being_ happy." "That's all very well," said Hugh; "but then, you know, Agnes, _being_ made happy depends on outward things." "Of course it does; and on inward things too. If we have got a well of happiness inside us, it will make everything round us seem bright and beautiful." "What do you call a 'well of happiness'?" "I know what Agnes means," said Minnie. "I was thinking then of the day father came home from America--last time; and we had received the telegram that he had landed at Liverpool. How we all went about singing and happy; how we never thought of quarrelling, but hastened to get everything ready for him." "I remember that day," said Alice; "it was one of the nicest I ever spent." "So that is what I mean by a 'well of happiness;' something which gives us joy, independently of anything else." "And what's your Christmas 'well of joy' for this year, Agnes?" asked John with a smile.