"They be; that's a fact," agreed Rhoda. "Royal, he's done his best for
ye now, anyway. He's kind o' quick, like all the Purcels, but he's real
accommodatin'."

"So he is, Rhoda, and I'll give him one of the prettiest eggs we turn
out for being so 'accommodatin';' and we are going to have some extra
pretty ones this time. See this now, and this, and this!" and Elsie
whipped out of her pocket several bits of bright calico. One was a
pattern of tiny rosebuds; another a little lily on a blue ground.

"The lily ones will be just lovely if they turn out well, and they will
be the real Easter egg with that lily pattern," said Marge,
enthusiastically.

By Saturday afternoon a goodly array of eggs of all colors and patterns
were "ready for company," as Elsie and Marge expressed it; for on
Saturday night a party of their friends were coming to them for a three
days' visit. It was about an hour after these friends had arrived, and
they were all hanging admiringly over the pretty display of eggs, that a
box was brought in by one of the servants. It was neatly tied, and
directed in a bold round handwriting to "Miss Elsie and Miss Marge
Lloyd."

"What _can_ it be?" said Marge, wonderingly.

"We'll open it and see," cried Elsie. And suiting her action to her
word, she cut the string and lifted the cover; and there she saw six
eggs undyed, but each painted delicately with a different design. On one
was a cross with a tiny vine running from the base; on another a bunch