"Oh, John," she said softly; "I quite forgot." And then they all noticed that John had not forgotten. At Hugh's first angry word, just as he was turning to answer, the light on the text caught his attention, and his promise to Agnes flashed across him; his promise that while their parents were away he would try with might and main to refrain from quarrelling with his brother. There was a few moments' silence, while each of the five assembled there had time to remember their resolves, and to ask for strength to keep them. At last Alice spoke. "Do you mind telling us. Agnes, what you are going to do then?" "Well, you know my morning Sunday-school class that I have given up to another teacher while mother is away?" Alice nodded. "Mother thought it would be nice if we asked them to tea to-day, and hoped it would keep them together better; and then John and I have been devising how we could please them." "Did you think of a Christmas-tree?" asked Hugh eagerly. Agnes shook her head. "It was of no use thinking of it; we hadn't money enough. No, we thought of games; only the boys are apt to get rough, and without mother and father it seemed a great undertaking." "So it is," said Alice; "for don't you remember what a dreadful noise they made one year when we had them?" "Yes," answered John; "so, as I was passing along the Strand the day after father went to America, I noticed 'magic-lanterns for school treats,' posted up very large in a window, and it gave me the idea of using mine for our little treat, and hiring a few more slides to make it last longer." "Yes, we haven't so very many slides," said Minnie, considering. "Pretty well," answered John; "but at anyrate two dozen more will be an advantage." "And after the magic-lantern is over?" asked Alice. "Agnes is going to talk to them, or tell them a story, and after that they'll have an orange." "Oh!" said Minnie, "I shall like that." "Which," asked Hugh, "the 'talk,' or the 'story,' or the 'orange'?" Minnie blushed, but after the late little breeze determined not to be vexed, and answered, "You know perfectly well what I meant, Hugh; so it's no good trying to make out anything else." "Do you want me to do anything to-day. Agnes?" asked Alice. "Of course I do," exclaimed Agnes; "I have a perfect list of things to be done. Cakes to be made by Alice; room to be got ready by Hugh; chairs brought from everywhere, seats devised, flowers arranged--there, I can't tell you all till we are in it." "And is there anything for me to do?" asked Minnie, getting up and coming round to lean against her sister's shoulder. "Yes, I want you to be willing to run messages all day long, and never to mind how often Alice sends you upstairs, or Hugh sends you downstairs, but to have feet of love for to-day." "All right," said Minnie.