individuals. And as he toiled up the winding stairs, Phronsie in front
of him, he had an exhilaration already that made him feel almost as
young as Polly and Jasper, scampering up the circular stairway at the
other end. "Well, bless me, we are up, aren't we?" he exclaimed,
sitting down and casting a glance around.

"Did you ever see anything so fascinating?" cried Polly Pepper,
clasping her hands in delight, and not stopping to sit down, but
looking all around.

"You had better sit down," advised Mother Fisher, "else when the car
starts you may go over the railing."

"Oh, I can't fall, Mamsie," said Polly, carelessly, yet she sat down,
while Jasper got out of his seat and ran up to old Mr. King.

"Now, father, don't you like it?" he cried. "And isn't it better than a
stuffy old carriage?"

"Yes, I do, my boy," answered his father, frankly. "Now run off with
you, you've planned it well." So Jasper, made happy for the day, rushed
back to his seat. A hand not over clean was laid on it, and a tall
individual, who was pouring out very bad provincial French at a fearful
rate, was just about to worm himself into it. Polly, who sat next, had
turned around to view the scenery from the other side, and hadn't seen
his advance.

"Excuse me," said Jasper, in another torrent of the same language, only
of a better quality, "this is my seat--I only left it to speak to my
father."