"Oh, not you; you must be tired after your long drive; Agnes will go."
"I have not finished my lessons, Clarice," said the child, conscientiously.
"You must have a holiday, Aunt Agnes," Clarice answered, laughing. "Run now, my dear, and tell the boys too; but find Helen first, for she will not like to lose a moment of Lizzie's visit."
Agnes ran off, and Lizzie picked up the fallen book and said, "I didn't know that Agnes had begun lessons."
"I began to teach her a year ago. Mother was very glad to be spared the trouble, and we get on very well. She can read nicely, and write all the letters, both capital and small ones. She is very quick, I think."
"Ah, that big work-basket," said Lizzie; "dear mother! It brings her up before me. What have you in it, Clarice?"
"Oh, things to make and things to mend," said Clarice. "Helen and I keep it going; we like to have everything just as she had it."
She drew out a half-knitted blue stocking, and went on with it as she spoke. Then the sound of steps was heard, and Helen, Aymer, and Guy arrived in rapid succession. Donald came in from the yard. Many were the handshakings and kissings, Lizzie's baby coming in for a fair share of the latter. He was handed round to be admired, and was admired, though Guy hurt his sister's feelings by gravely proposing to prick a mark on his own brother's arm, lest he should be carried off by the Andersons in mistake.
Lizzie thought that Helen looked worn and overworked; and there was an anxious look in her eyes which made her like her mother. But part of poor Helen's present anxiety was her fear that Donald, when he saw the dinner, would feel that he could easily eat it all himself! A very unpleasant reflection for any housekeeper. However, her anxiety on that score did not last long, for when Donald was setting off with Aymer and Guy to look at the cows and sheep, Lizzie asked him to bring in the big basket out of the shanderadan.
"Mrs. Anderson thought it wouldn't do to take you by surprise, and expect you to have dinner enough for all, particularly as Donald has such an appetite. So she sent this basket—I don't know what there is in it, for she packed it herself."