"Which," asked Hugh, "the 'talk,' or the 'story,' or the 'orange'?"
Minnie blushed, but after the late little breeze determined not to be vexed, and answered, "You know perfectly well what I meant, Hugh; so it's no good trying to make out anything else."
"Do you want me to do anything to-day. Agnes?" asked Alice.
"Of course I do," exclaimed Agnes; "I have a perfect list of things to be done. Cakes to be made by Alice; room to be got ready by Hugh; chairs brought from everywhere, seats devised, flowers arranged—there, I can't tell you all till we are in it."
"And is there anything for me to do?" asked Minnie, getting up and coming round to lean against her sister's shoulder.
"Yes, I want you to be willing to run messages all day long, and never to mind how often Alice sends you upstairs, or Hugh sends you downstairs, but to have feet of love for to-day."
"All right," said Minnie.
"And then for pleasant things, between whiles, you shall go to buy the oranges, and some buns, and some gingerbread nuts, and so on, and we'll have I hope as happy a day as any since they went away."
As Agnes turned at the door to give a parting direction, Hugh put his arm round her and said humbly:
"I'm awfully sorry I was so stupid, Agnes—so wrong—but I'm for ever forgetting."