The beautiful, rare, white peacocks were also to be seen strutting about the courtyard, spreading their great white tails to be admired. Edith had much to tell her mamma while they were eating lunch. Colonel Howard also told his little daughter of other beautiful houses he had visited, among them Haddon Hall and Welbeck Abbey, which has a number of the rooms built under ground. The owners of most of these great houses in England allow visitors to go through the principal apartments on certain days in the week. Edith's papa and mamma had spent the preceding summer on the "Norfolk Broads." The "Broads" are really lakes or rivers, nearly all connected, so they had taken a sailboat and sailed from one to another, living meanwhile on their boat. This is a most enjoyable way of spending some weeks, and they had promised to go again some time and take Edith. Near the "Broads" is a spot of interest to little American cousins,--the town of Boston which gave its name to the American city. There is a great contrast between the great bustling city of Boston and this little old English town. There is a tower there that is called the "Boston Stump," why, one cannot imagine, for it is a very nice church tower, and does not look at all like a stump, though it stands high up above the surrounding flat country like a mariner's beacon. Our party visited Oxford as well, stopping just long enough for Edith to see the gray, time-stained walls of the many colleges which go to make up the great university of Oxford. "This is where Tom is coming when he finishes at Eton," said Colonel Howard, as he pointed out to Edith his old college building set about with a beautiful green lawn. From here they returned to Oldham Manor, but in August Edith went with her parents to Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, where the yacht races take place. Here are to be seen hundreds of sailboats, and big steam yachts as well. Little girls do not often go to Cowes, for yachting there is an amusement for "grown ups." But Edith's parents wanted her to enjoy her holidays with them as much as possible, so she usually went, too. Her papa told her so much about the yachts, that she grew very wise and nautical, and they used to nickname her the "Little Sailor." CHAPTER X. THE LORD MAYOR'S SHOW ONE of the great events in the life of an English child is to be able to go to London to the "Lord Mayor's Show," which takes place every year on the 9th of November. Thousands of families from all over the country come into London for that day, and bring the young folks. Early in the morning of the great day, the Howard and Stamford families had taken up their position at two of the big windows of a hotel, from which a good view of the parade could be had. Eleanor and Clarence had come up with the Howards, so you can fancy what a merry party it was.