Partly because Lady Merrifield thought it very amiable in Mysie and Valetta to make the sacrifice, and partly to disperse the thundercloud she saw gathering on Wilfred’s brow, she not only consented to a magnificent and extraordinary game at wolves and bears all over the house, but even devoted herself to keeping Mrs. Halfpenny quiet by shutting herself into the nursery to look over all the wardrobes, and decide what was to ‘go down’ in the family, and what was to be given away, and what must be absolutely renewed. It was an operation that Mrs. Halfpenny enjoyed so much, that it warranted her to be deaf to shrieks and trampling, and almost to forget the chances of gathers and kilting being torn out, and trap-doors appearing in skirts and pinafores. All that time Dolores sat hunched up in her own room, reading ‘Clare, or No Home,’ and realizing the persecutions suffered by that afflicted child, who had just been nearly drowned in rescuing her wickedest cousin, and was being carried into her noble grandfather’s house, there to be recognized by her golden hair being exactly the colour it was when she was a baby. There were horrible growlings at times outside her door, and she bolted it by way of precaution. Once there was a bounce against it, but Gillian’s voice might be heard in the distance calling off the wolves. Then came a lull. The wolves and bears had rushed up and down stairs till they were quite exhausted and out of breath, especially as Primrose had always been a cub, and gone in the arms of Hal or Gillian; Fergus at last had rolled down three steps, and been caught by Wilfred, who, in his character of bear, hugged and mauled him till his screams grew violent. Harry had come to the rescue, and it was decided that there had been enough of this, and that there should be a grand exhibition of tableaux from the history of England in the dining-room, which of course mamma was to guess, with the assistance of any one who was not required to act. Mama, ever obliging, hastily condemned two or three sunburnt hats and ancient pairs of shoes, to be added to the bundle for Miss Hacket’s distribution, and let herself be hauled off to act audience. ‘But where’s Dolly?’ she asked, as she looked at the assemblage on the stairs. ‘Bolted into her room, like a donkey,’ said Wilfred, the last clause under his breath. ‘Indeed, mamma, we did ask her, and gave her the choice between wolves and bears,’ said Mysie. ‘Unfortunately she is bear without choosing,’ said Gill. ‘A sucking of her paws in a hollow tree,’ chimed in Hal. ‘Hush! hush!’ said Lady Merrifield, looking pained; ‘perhaps the choice seemed very terrible to a poor only child like that. We, who had the luck to be one of many, don’t know what wild cats you may all seem to her.’ ‘She never will play at anything,’ said Val. ‘She doesn’t know how to,’ said Mysie. ‘And won’t be taught,’ added Wilfred.