"You see," said Phronsie, shaking her head gravely, while she laid one
hand on his knee, "we were very poor, Grandpapa dear. Don't you
understand?"

"Yes, yes, child," said old Mr. King; "there, get up here," and he took
her within his arms.

"No, no, you're not going to talk yet," seeing Percy and Van beginning
violent efforts to join in the conversation. "Let the Peppers have a
chance to talk over old times first. See how good Jasper is to wait."

"I would much prefer to hear the Peppers talk forever," said Jasper,
smiling down on the two Whitneys, "than to have the gates opened for a
general flood. Go on, do, Polly and Ben, and the rest of you."

"Oh! there is so much," said Polly despairingly, clasping her hands, "we
shouldn't get through if we talked ten years, should we, Ben? Mamsie,"
and she rushed over to her, "can we have a baking time to-morrow, just
as we used to in the old days? Oh! do say yes."

"Yes, do say yes," echoed Jasper, also rushing to the side of the little
rocking-chair. "You will, won't you, Mrs. Pepper?"

"Hoh! hoh!" cried the two Whitneys derisively, "I thought you could
'hear the Peppers talk forever.' That's great, Jasper."

"Well, when it comes to hearing a proposal for a baking frolic, my
principles are thrown to the wind," said Jasper recklessly. "Why, boys,
that's the first thing I remember about the little brown house. Do say