Part 4 (1/2)

At the word _feast_, Frances' tears seemed arrested, and her mouth looked as if she were going to smile. She left the corner, and immediately prepared to do her part for the feast, setting a little square table, and then, drawing her own little stool, seated herself in readiness as a guest.

”Stay,” said Anne, ”we will make some little paper dishes and plates, and divide the cake;” so saying, she began the operation, and laying down the paper dishes, ”there at the top, see! there shall be two chickens, at the bottom a piece of beef, at one side some potatoes, and at the other some cauliflower;” breaking her cake into small pieces to correspond to her imagined provision.

Frances looked very impatient at the long preparation, and as Anne seated herself, inviting Mary to partake, Frances stretched out her hand to take the beef for her own portion.

”No, no, Frances, you must not help yourself, you know; wait until we all begin in order.”

Frances very reluctantly withdrew her hand, and, whilst she waited, betrayed her impatience by a little jerking motion of the body, that threw her breast against the table, as if she would beat time into quicker motion.

”O we must not forget William!” Anne exclaimed; ”where is he? he must taste our feast; stay here, Mary, with Frances, and I will go and find him.”

Away she ran, and left poor Frances in a fret at this additional delay, but she began to amuse herself by picking up the small crumbs that had been scattered on the stool, and at last proceeded to touch the beef and chickens.

”Do not do so, Frances,” Mary said, in a reproving voice.

Frances colored.

”Do not sit _looking_ on, if you are so impatient; employ yourself, and get a seat ready for William.”

”_You_ may get it, Mary.”

”Very well; only do not meddle with Anne's feast.”

Mary had to go into another room for the seat, and whilst she was away, Frances quickly helped herself to half of the pieces which were on the dishes, and, when Mary returned, resumed her position as if nothing had happened. Mary was so busy in arranging the seats, that she did not observe what had been done.

Presently Anne came back, accompanied by her brother William; hastening to her place, and looking on her table, she started with surprise, and seemed to say to herself, as she gazed, How came I to make a mistake, an think my pieces of cake were larger? but the expression of her face called Mary's attention, who at once said,

”Anne, I am sure you placed larger pieces on your dishes.”

”Indeed, I thought so, Mary; who has taken any?”

”I do not know.”

”O you are only _pretending_, and you have been hiding some.”

”No, Anne; I would not have said I do not know, if I had _hid_ it.”

”No, no more you would, dear Mary. Never mind,” she said, glancing a look at Frances, not altogether without suspicion, ”it is only to _play_ with, it does not signify whether it is much or little.

”William, shall I help you to a little chicken?”

”O no, Anne, you have forgot, help the _ladies_ first; and beside, you ought to have placed me at the bottom of the table to carve this dish. What is it?”

”Beef, William.”

”O beef, very well. Come, Miss Frances, let me sit there, and you come to the side of the table.”

In haste to begin the eating part of the play, she rose immediately to change places, when, to her disgrace, a quant.i.ty of crumbs, which had lodged un.o.bserved in a fold of her frock, fell out, and disordered the neatness of the table.

”There!” said William, ”we have no question to ask who took the liberty to lessen the dishes.”