"O dear me!" said Jasper, finding no more words for the occasion.
"And she wants us to spend our Christmas over there," said Polly, with a dismal face. "But we are not going to; oh, no, the very idea, Jasper King!" and she brightened up. "Why, Grandpapa wouldn't allow it."
"No, indeed," said Jasper, in his most decided fashion, "but we might have them here," he added.
"If you are strong enough," said Ben. "Papa Fisher said it all depended on you."
"If that is so," said Jasper, with a long breath, and stretching out his hands, "why, we'll have the whole lot of them. See, I'm as strong as an ox!"
"And oh, Jasper, you can't think," cried Polly, plunging into all the delights of the coming celebration, "we are going to have the choir boys of St. Stephen's to sing the carol."
"Not the St. Stephen's boys!" cried Jasper, in great excitement.
"Yes," said Polly, with dancing eyes, "we surely are, Jasper; Grandpapa engaged them. He wrote from the school."
"Isn't Father just too splendid for anything!" cried Jasper, with shining eyes.
"Isn't he!" echoed Polly and Ben together.