’Yes, I undertook that we three should make up the two cushions for the desk and eagle; Mrs. Webbe’s hands are full of business already, but she has explained it all to me, and Kate will understand it better than I can.’

‘I thought Sarah Webbe was to help,’ said Helen.

‘She is doing the carpet,’ said Elizabeth.  ’Oh! if you look so lamentable about it, Helen, we do not want your help.  Dora will sew the seams very nicely, and enjoy the work too.  I thought you might be glad to turn your handiwork to some account.’

‘Really, Lizzie,’ said Helen, ’I shall be very glad to be useful, if you want me.  What shall I do?’

This was said in no gracious tone, and Elizabeth would not accept such an offer of assistance.  ‘No, no; never mind,’ said she, putting a skein of crimson sewing-silk over Katherine’s outstretched hands, and standing with her back to Helen, who took up her pencil again in silence, and made her black shadows much darker.

Elizabeth, who had not been of the walking party, and had thus heard of all the arrangements which had been made that afternoon, went on talking to Katherine.  ’As soon as Church is over, the Bishop is coming to luncheon here, and then to settle some business with Papa; then is to be the school-children’s feast—­in the quadrangle, of course.  Oh, how delightful that will be!  And Mamma and I have been settling that we will have a little table for the smallest creatures, because the elder sisters get no time to eat if they are attending to them, and if the little ones are all together, everyone will come and help them.’

‘The old women in the Alms-houses will,’ said Katherine.

’Yes; and Dora will manage that nicely too, the table will not be too high for her to reach, and she will be very happy to be able to wait on her little class.  And they are to have tea and cake, instead of dinner, for we do not want to have more cooking than can be helped, that people may not be prevented from going to church, and the children will be thirsty after being in church all the morning.’

‘But we have a dinner-party, do not we?’ said Katherine.

’Yes, but our youth and innocence will save us from being much plagued by it,’ said Elizabeth.

‘Oh!  I thought you and Anne at least would dine with the company,’ said Katherine.

‘So Mamma thought,’ said Elizabeth; ’but then she recollected that if we did, and not Harriet, Mrs. Hazleby would be mortally offended; and when we came to reckon, it appeared that there would be thirteen without us, and then Papa and I persuaded her, that it would be much less uncivil to leave out all the Misses, than to take one and leave the rest.  You know Anne and I are both under seventeen yet, so that nobody will expect to see us.’

‘Only thirteen people?’ said Katherine; ’I thought the Bishop was to dine and sleep here.’

’Oh no, that was settled long ago; Papa found he had engaged to go to Marlowe Court,’ said Elizabeth, ’and so there was room for the Hazlebys; I hoped he would have guarded us from them.’