"Will there be a great many, Norton?" Matilda asked.
"Don't know anything about it. You must ask somebody else. Esther Francis isn't our cousin."
"How dry you are," said David. "I know no more about it, Matilda, than he does."
"Esther said there would be twenty or thirty," said Judy. "How are we going? that's what I want to know."
"Take the Harlem railroad to the station," said Norton, "and drive the rest. That's the way you always go to General Francis's. Mamma! I'd like to drive Pink out. It's only thirteen miles."
"I'm afraid, Norton. I think you had better all go together."
Norton grumbled a little; however, it was good enough even so.
The day was the first of June; fresh and sweet as the first of June should be. The four were in the cars early; and as soon as the train had got quit of the city, the sights and smells of the country roused Matilda to the highest pitch of delight. Such green fields! such blue sky! such delicious air! and such varieties of pleasant objects that she had not seen for some time! The rush to the station was one whirl of pleasure; then the pleasure grew greater, for they got into a carriage to drive across the country. Every foot of the way, though it was not through a very enchanting landscape, was joyous to Matilda's vision; and when the grounds were reached of General Francis's villa, there was nothing more left in this world to desire. For there were plantations of trees, extending far and wide, with roads and paths cut through them; over which the young fresh foliage cast the sweetest of shadow. There were meadows, broad and fair, green and smooth, with a little river winding along in them, and scattered trees here and there for shade, and fringes of willows and alders to the sides of the stream. And at a little distance stood the large old house, with groves of trees encircling it and lawns before and on one side of it; and on the side lawn, in the edge of the grove, long tables set and spread with damask.
"Dinner already?" queried Norton. "I am hungry enough."
"Dinner at ten o' clock!" cried Judy. "Breakfast, you mean."