“Oh dear, I’m so sorry!” said Jessie with a sigh.
Judging of her thoughts by her looks, Uncle Morris said, “Never mind, Jessie. There will be plenty of ice to skate on, in a week or two.”
“Skate! How can she skate? She hasn’t got any skates!” said Hugh.
“Yes, I have,” replied Jessie, smiling. “Pa sent me a beautiful pair this morning.”
This statement led to various remarks about skating, and winter weather in the country. Meanwhile, the cousins came back to the table. Jessie soon grew cheerful again, and the dinner passed without any other occurrence worthy of notice.
After dinner, the fog having grown into a fine, drizzling rain, the children found it impossible to go out of doors in search of amusement. It was therefore agreed to invite Miss Carrie Sherwood to tea. Guy promised to go after her. To add to the pleasure of the occasion, Jessie had her mother’s permission to use a sweet little tea-set of her own, and to have tea with her cousins and Carrie by themselves in the parlor.
Carrie arrived in due time, snugly wrapped in hood and shawl. Her feet were protected by rubbers. She declared that Guy was a capital beau. Guy laughed at her compliment, and repaid it by saying that she was a nice little belle, and then he ran off to school.
The afternoon passed rapidly, because, on the whole, it was pleasantly spent. Emily, knowing it was the last day of her visit, seemed anxious to do away with the bad impression she had previously made upon the mind of her cousin and her friend. Charlie, too, was in his best mood most of the time. Once, indeed, he came very near breaking up the harmony of the party. Seeing a strap of Jessie’s new skates peeping from beneath the what-not where she had hidden them, he seized it, pulled out the skates, and began to put them on.
“Please, Charlie, don’t do that,” said Jessie. “You can’t skate on the carpet, you know; please give them to me?”
“I won’t!” retorted the wilful boy.