said Conrade, "and I mean to have all the English ones."

"Oh, one egg; there's no harm in taking that; but this nest has young
birds."

The young birds must of course be seen, and Rachel stood by with
despairing frowns, commands, and assurances of their mother's
displeasure, while they peeped in, tantalized the gaping yellow
throats, by holding up their fingers, and laid hands on the side of
the nest, peeping at her with laughing, mischievous eyes, enjoying
her distress. She was glad at last to find them coming away without
the nest, and after crossing the park, arrived at the house, tired
out, but with two hours of the boys still on her hands. They,
however, were a little tired, too; and, further, Grace had hunted out
the old bowls, much to the delight of the younger ones. This sport
lasted a good while, but at last the sisters, who had relaxed their
attention a little, perceived that Conrade and Hubert were both
missing, and on Rachel's inquiry where they were, she received from
Francis that elegant stock answer, "in their skins." However, they
came to light in process of time, the two mothers returned home, and
Mrs. Curtis and Grace had the conversation almost in their own hands.
Rachel was too much tired to do anything but read the new number of
her favourite "Traveller's Magazine," listening to her mother with
one ear, and gathering additional impressions of Sir Stephen Temple's
imprudence, and the need of their own vigilance. To make Fanny feel
that she could lean upon some one besides the military secretary,
seemed to be the great object, and she was so confiding and
affectionate with her own kin, that there were great hopes. Those
boys were an infliction, no doubt, but, thought Rachel, "there is
always an ordeal at the beginning of one's mission. I am mastering