What could the little ones be thinking about to make them grave?
It was evidently quite a relief when Aunt Judy went on:—
“You will be very much surprised, I dare say,” said she, “to hear of the next misery I am going to tell you about. It may be called the dinner misery, and the little Victims underwent it every day.”
“Did they give them nasty things to eat, Aunt Judy?” murmured No. 8, very anxiously.
“More likely not half enough,” suggested No. 5.
“But you promised not to make the story too sad, remember!” observed No. 6.
“I did,” replied Aunt Judy, “and the dinner misery did not consist in nasty food, or there not being enough. They had plenty to eat, I assure you, and everything was good. But—”
Aunt Judy stopped short, and glanced at each of the little ones in succession.
“Make haste, Aunt Judy!” cried No. 8. “But what?”
“But,” resumed Aunt Judy, in her most impressive tone, “they had to wait between the courses.”