They came out of church into a fine, cold winter rain which had threatened them on setting forth. It had kept Miss Charlotte and little Polly at home for a peaceful morning in the little grey house; it had served, with her cold, to retain Mrs. Grey at Lydia's side, for appetites attend on church-going, as a rule, and there was much to be done by those mother-hands which always smoothed out possible rough places, and made all kinds of comfort certain. Aunt Azraella was not out either, which was a relief to the girls, who dreaded her probable addition to them at dinner, for however gentler Aunt Azraella's diminution of health might make her, she still was not adapted to great increase of joy. "Do you think," Rob asked as they gathered around the hearth after dinner, "do you really think, Mardy, that it would be unsuited to the day for 'we (twice) four, and no more' to go up into the attic and look over the chests and trunks of old clothing?" "It would be Shintoism--ancestor-worship," said Bruce. "Bruce, we have sufficient knowledge of the Eastern question to understand what Shintoism is without your foot-note," remarked Rob sternly. "I think it would be perfectly proper to the day, dear, to go into the attic and see those old costumes, that is to the Sunday side of the day, but how about the weather side of the day? Wouldn't it be too cold for you?" Mrs. Grey stretched her fingers towards the fire as she spoke; she dearly loved warmth--of all sorts. "We're not afraid of the cold, are we girls? Of course the boys are afraid of nothing," said Rob. _"Won't you walk into my attic?" said a robin to her mates._ _"I have venerable garments that would fit up many crates._ _"The way into my attic is up a winding stair,_ _"But, 'spite of cold, these garments old repay a journey there."_ Rob chanted this effusion, and Battalion B arose as one body and echoed, as a refrain: "But, 'spite of cold, these garments old repay a journey there." Then the entire eight departed atticward with Polly and her doll, Roberta Charlotte, bringing up the rear. "Go on, Wythie; I must put Polly's jacket on," said Rob, pausing at her chamber door. "Queer, that little bodies take cold more easily than larger ones, which have more surface to catch cold on." "What an absurd girl she is!" sighed grave Hester with supreme content in the qualities which she lacked and which Rob possessed in excess. "She talks nonsense all the day long, and acts sense more than any one," said Wythie, with her loving smile. Rob and Polly came quickly, the bunch of keys dangling from Rob's hand. "We forgot these," she cried breathlessly. "We may get too cold if we try to look over all the clothes. Shall we omit the fantastic ones, Wythie, and get out only the serious ones, which we can use for the gavotte?" "Let us open the cedar chest first," said Oswyth, taking the key Rob offered her.