"But stay," said Mrs. Lesly, who was always troubled by anything like arrangements, "who is to sleep in Lucy's room when Caroline is gone. I am afraid we cannot manage it." "We will see how old she is when she comes," suggested Mabel, "and if she is afraid to sleep by herself Betsy must sleep with her; but from what I remember she cannot be very young." "Well then, my dear," said her mother, "and so you will promise to contrive to make everything comfortable; now nothing makes me so ill as arranging, and your poor papa never left me anything of that kind to think of. I remember once going down to Weymouth, when you were a baby. I could not tell what I should do there, being obliged to sleep at an hotel, for the first night, for we could not find a lodging, the town was so very full. So when we came there, we could get nothing but a small, uncomfortable room; and some how or other, we could not find any of the baby's things without pulling our boxes all about so, and I was so tired and teased, that I sat down, and--and-- "'Annie,' said he, 'now don't cry--I can bear anything better than your tears--leave everything to me--it will be much the easiest plan.' "And so I did--and he put my nurse to work so busily, that my baby was asleep before I could think about it; and the next morning he was up early, managed to secure us a lodging, and made us all comfortable. Ah, I am afraid he spoilt me, I do not know how to do anything now, I fear." "Well, dear mamma," said Mabel, twining her arm round her neck, and kissing her affectionately, "I would not have you miss my dear papa less than you do; but you must not tease yourself about anything. Did I not promise to try and supply his place? I do not mean to let you have any trouble at all. Here is your desk and a new pen--the ink is a little too light, but it writes freely--and now, while you answer my aunt's letter, you will be glad to get rid of us." "I do not want to drive you away, love," replied her mother; "but you know I can never write if there is the least noise--so, perhaps, you had better go, and take Amy with you. I have not written for such an age, it makes me quite nervous." "Oh, yes, I know, mamma dear; come, Amy, we will go and look to the spare room. I will seal your letter, mamma, when it is finished." Mabel was soon busy in thinking over the accommodations necessary for visitors, with Betsy's aid, amidst Amy's incessant questions. "Do you think, Mabel," she began, "that Lucy is very little?" "I do not much think she is little at all," replied Mabel. "But aunt Villars called her, my little girl," persisted Amy. "Yes, but many mammas talk of grown up children in the same way." "Do you think," said Amy, after watching her sister for a few minutes in silence, "I had better put some of my books on the shelf for her to read, if she happens to like them?" "If you have any that will look pretty, you may put them there certainly."