"Of course, I will," said Alexia, "if Polly is going."
And almost as soon as one could write it, there they all were in a group on the big rug before the library fire, and Grandpapa in his easy-chair, smiling down at his family.
And little Doctor Fisher looked in to say that Jasper had stood the journey re-markably well, that he was now fast asleep, and that to-morrow he would be down among them all.
"Oh, goody! goody!" cried Polly, clapping her hands.
At this Phronsie slipped out from her nest where she had been sitting, her head in Polly's lap so that she could smooth the yellow waves away from the hot little cheeks, and, picking up her skirts, she began to dance, finishing up with a little cheese in the middle of the library floor.
"I don't mean you can have your Christmas to-morrow," the little doctor made haste to explain. "Jasper must have some hours of rest. But the day after—then says I." He took off his big spectacles, wiped them carefully, stuck them on his nose again, laughed gleefully at the babel of rejoicing he had set up, and was off.
"Well now, Phronsie," said Grandpapa, "you would better come and sit with me. I really need you, child."
"Do you, Grandpapa?" asked Phronsie, and coming up to his big chair, exceedingly pleased.
"Very much indeed," said the old gentleman, decidedly. "There, that's right," as she climbed up into his lap, and laid her head on his breast. "Now then, you and I can hear all these wonderful plans finely."
"We're going to have a Christmas," said Phronsie, putting up a soft little hand to pull his face down.