“Oh dear,” broke in Van enviously; “Jappy's always said so. I wish we'd been there, too!”
“We didn't want anybody but Jappy,” said Joel not very politely.
“Oh Joey, for shame!” cried Polly.
“Jappy used to bake,” cried little Davie; “an' we all made pies; an' then we sat round an' ate 'em, an' then told stories.”
“Oh what fun!” cried Percy. “Do tell us!”
So the five little Peppers and Jasper flew off into reminiscences and accounts of the funny doings, and Mrs. Pepper joined in heartily till the room got very merry with the glee and enthusiasm called forth; so much so, that nobody heard Mrs. Whitney knock gently at the door, and nobody answering, she was obliged to come in by herself.
“Well, well,” she cried, merrily, looking at the swarm of little ones around Mrs. Pepper and the big chair. “You are having a nice time! May I come and listen?”
“Oh, if you will, sister,” cried Jasper, springing off from his arm of the chair, while Ben flew from the other side, to hurry and get her a chair.
Percy and Van rushed too, knocking over so many things that they didn't help much; and little Dick poked his head out from Mrs. Pepper's arms when he saw his mamma sitting down to stay and began to scramble down to get into her lap.
“There now,” said Mrs. Whitney, smiling over at Mrs. Pepper, who was smiling at her. “You have your baby, and I have mine! Now children, what's it all about? What has Mrs. Pepper been telling you?”