"How nice!" said the children all together. "Thank you, Marie, thank you so much for telling us the story."
CHAPTER VII.
GRANDMOTHER'S GRANDMOTHER.
"I'll tell you a story of Jack-o-my-nory,
And now my story's begun.
I'll tell you another of Jack and his brother,
And now my story's done."
Old Nursery Rhyme.
Marie's story was the subject of much conversation among the children. Sylvia announced her intention of writing it down.
"She tells it so nicely," she said. "I could have written it down beautifully while she was talking, if she would have waited."
"She would not have been able to tell it so nicely if she had known you were waiting to write down every word as she said it," remarked grandmother. "At least in her place I don't think I could."
A shriek from Molly here startled them all, or perhaps I should say, would have done so, had they been less accustomed to her eccentric behaviour.