"Oh, Bab," said wee Lucy, "I had such a _loneness_ without you!"

"I had a loneness too, Auntie Lucy. Seemed as if the time never would
go."

And then the dark head and the fair head met again for more kisses,
while both the mammas looked on and said, in low tones and with smiles,
as they always did:--

"How sweet! Now we shall hear them singing about the place like two
little birds."

This was Tuesday. The days went on happily until Thursday afternoon,
when "the Dunlee party," which always included the Hales and Sanfords,
set forth up the mountain for a sight of the famous "air-castle." Of
course Nate was with them, but this time not as a guide; the guide was
Uncle James.

The road, though rather steep, was not a hard one. Mr. Dunlee had his
alpenstock, and Uncle James walked beside him, holding little Eddo by
the hand. Bab and Lucy, or "the little two," as Aunt Vi called them,
were side by side as usual, and Lucy had asked Bab to repeat the story
of "Little Bo-Peep" in French, for Nate wanted to hear it. Bab could
speak French remarkably well.

"Petit beau bouton
A perde ses moutons,
Il ne sais pas que les a pris.
O laissez les tranquille!