Aunt Clarissa, who generally sat in the room during the lesson-time to keep order in the little company, had just been called out by Lina, the maid-servant, who was usually a most quiet and reserved young person, but who was now, evidently, much excited and almost distressed as she asked to “speak a word with Mrs. Clarissa.”

No sooner was the door closed than Oscar broke out eagerly:—­

“Though neither you nor anybody knows where the Festival is to be this evening, Fani, yet promise me, on your word of honor, that you will join us—­Promise! at quarter before six, at the three oaks.  Promise! and from there we march to the place of celebration.”

Fani looked at Emma.

“Yes, of course you can promise.  We shall be back by that time,” said Emma, decidedly.  “You see, Oscar, we have something to do together before that; but we are going at two o’clock if we can get away.”

“Go where you please; only promise to be back,” said Oscar.

Fani promised that he would be at the three oaks before six o’clock.

“And you too, Fred; we have not too many at the best.  Promise that you’ll come too.”

It was not so easy to get Fred’s consent; he was always slow to make a promise.  Perhaps he would come; but, if he had anything important to attend to, he couldn’t come if he did promise, so he must be excused.

Oscar was determined to have his own way.  Fred was obstinate and would not yield.  Emma and Fani were not at all loath to give up their studies and join in the dispute.

In the other room, Lina, her cheeks flaming with excitement, was declaring to Mrs. Clarissa that she would not stay another day in the house; no one would believe such things could happen who hadn’t seen them; she never heard of such things before in her life.

“Do try to speak plainly, so that I can understand what you mean,” said Clarissa, who had not an idea what the girl was talking about.

“Well, I noticed it a little once or twice before,” said the agitated house-maid; “but I thought it came in at the open window.  But to-day, just now, when I opened the drawer of the young gentleman’s wash-stand to clean it, out jumped a live frog.  I opened another and there were a lot of spiders crawling about!  I slapped at them with a cloth and they ran into all the corners, and I couldn’t get them out.  Then I saw that the key was in the writing-desk, and I thought what if by chance any of the disgusting creatures had got in there; for what would Mrs. Stanhope say?  I opened one division and then another and another.  Hu! how it looked!  I can’t tell you how horrid it was!  Snails, caterpillars, beetles, every sort of ugly living creature crawled out of every place,—­it was all dirty and nasty and abominable!  I cleaned and brushed and washed and scrubbed as well as I could; but it was so dirty and so sticky!  Ugh!  And it was done on purpose, too; that’s the worst of it; and the nasty things have got into my clothes and my hair and all over me!  That stupid young gentleman did it just to frighten whoever came and found them there!  I know he did!”