lawn without half a dozen clinging to her skirts. Some of the young ladies of the parish came in the capacity of school-teachers, and Mr. Greydon, who brought several of his assistants, was absolutely frisky; running races, and flying kites, and cutting bread and butter in slices of astounding thickness—Janet thought that no loaf had ever before been so well divided.
Even Mlle. Justine was condescending; she thought this "fête du village très-interessante," and withdrew her hands from her eternal apron pockets, to assist in tea making; and Baxter deigned to carry one of the benches that had been sent up from the school half across the lawn. While the sports were at their height, they were suddenly suspended by the appearance of the Lord Mayor's barge coming majestically up the River, flags flying, band playing, &c., &c. Either from the attraction of the crowd of children at Pleasance, or from the natural impulse to stick in the mud, which is the general characteristic of boats, it came to, just opposite the house.
