on him by stealth, always seemed to his brave spirit consequent on a
day's extra fatigue, or the last attention to a departing cough.
Alas! when every day's fatigue was extra, the cough always
depart_ing_, never depart_ed_.

Yet, though it had become a standing order in the house, that for an
hour after papa came in from his rounds, no one of the children
should be in the drawing-room, except poor little lame Geraldine, who
was permanently established there; and that afterwards, even on
strong compulsion, they should only come in one by one, as quietly as
possible, he never ceased to apologise to them for their banishment
when he felt it needful, and when he was at ease, would renew the
merriment that sometimes cost him dear.

The children had, for the most part, inherited that precious heirloom
of contentment and elasticity, and were as happy in nooks and corners
in bedroom, nursery, staircase or kitchen, as they could have been in
extensive play-rooms and gardens.

See them in full council upon the expenditure of the annual gift that
an old admiral at Vale Leston, who was godfather to Felix, was wont
to send the boy on his birthday--that third of July, which had seemed
so bright, when birthdays had begun in the family, that no name save
Felix could adequately express his parent's feelings.

Mr. and Mrs. Underwood had fancies as to nomenclature; and that
staircaseful of children rejoiced in eccentric appellations. To begin
at the bottom--here sat on a hassock, her back against the wall, her
sharp old fairy's face uplifted, little Geraldine, otherwise Cherry,
a title that had suited her round rosiness well, till after the first