"I suppose," said Arthur bluntly, "you will not leave them dirty, however disagreeable they may be."
"Of course not," said Christina; "I believe a bath is the first duty."
"And I think you will find," said Mrs. Arundel, "that when you have had them a little while, you will get to love them in spite of their being tiresome. Like I do mine," she said, smiling.
"Oh, that's different!" said Arthur.
"No, I do not suppose it is, very, if Christina has the motherly heart in her; and she would not have thought of this plan, if she had not."
"All right," said Arthur, "I give in."
"But who are you going to have?" asked Ada; then turning to her mamma quickly, "Do you think, mamma, that Mrs. Ross—"
"What, Alfy?" said her mother.
"Yes. Do you not remember how she said she was too old to mind him? And only yesterday I heard her say to Mary, 'I shall have to send him to school, a little plague, that I shall.'"
"It might be the very thing; what do you think, Christina?"