And now, when Mr. Harrington called, there was generally some excuse contrived for sending Agnes from the room, and for keeping her busy in some other part of the house; and though Agnes was indignant at this evident desire to get her out of the way, by putting upon her labor which they had no right to require of her, yet, at the time, and in Mr. Harrington’s presence, she would not contest the point, but quietly left the room. This never happened, however, when Mr. Fairland was present, as the good man, if he had fully seen through all the plans of his wife and daughters, could not have discomfited them more surely than he always contrived to do. In the meantime, the ladies Calista and Evelina never for a moment relaxed their efforts, or ceased to practise their arts, upon the wealthy and agreeable stranger. “How _charming_ your place must be Mr. Harrington!” said Miss Evelina one evening; “I do delight in these old haunted mansions; there is something so delightfully romantic about them.” “And have you really heard any of these strange noises at night?” asked Miss Calista. “Noises?—enough of them,” he answered; “I have sometimes been so disturbed, that I could not sleep at all.” “And what _did_ you do?” asked the young ladies in a breath, their eyes dilating with horror. “Why, in the first place,” said Mr. Harrington, “I bought a _terrier_, and in the next a large _rat-trap_; and by means of both, I succeed in laying several of the spirits every night, and have strong hopes that, before long, perfect quiet will be restored to the haunted mansion.” Then calling Jessie, who was in the room, to his side, Mr. Harrington took her in his lap, and said: “You remind me very much of a little blue-eyed, flaxen-haired girl I have in the city.” “Why, have you a little girl?” Mr. Harrington, asked the young ladies. “Yes, two of them,” he answered. “Oh, how I _doat_ on children!” exclaimed Miss Calista. “Cousin Agnes, what is the meaning of _doat_?” screamed Master Frank, running up to Agnes, who just then entered the room. “What is it to _doat_ on any one?” “It is to love them very dearly;” answered Agnes quietly. “Ho! C’listy says she _doats_ on children—she doats on us, don’t she Rosa?” and Master Frank laughed such a laugh of derision, that Mr. Harrington was obliged to say something very funny to little Jessie, who was still sitting on his knee, in order to have an excuse for laughing too. Miss Calista fairly trembled with concealed rage, and soon succeeded in having Master Frank sent off to bed. Indeed, Frank was the cause of so much mortification to Miss Calista, that she would gladly have banished him too from the parlor, but he was lawless, and no one in the house could do anything with him but Agnes. Mr. Harrington was very fond of children, and often had long conversations with little Frank, whose bold, independent manners seemed to please him much. One evening when he was talking to him, Frank said: