Magnum Bonum | Page 8

the mother interrupted a "Well, but papa," from Janet, with "Babie, Babie."
"It's Jock, Mother Carey! He will come into Fairyland too soon."
"What's the last news from Fairyland, Babie?" asked the father as the little one ran up to him.
"I want to be Queen Mab, papa, but Armine wants to be Perseus with the Gorgon's head, and Jock is the dragon; but the dragon will come before we've put Polly upon the rock."
"What! is Polly Andromeda��-?" as a grey parrot's stand was being transferred from the balcony.
"Yes, papa," called out Armine. "You see she's chained, and Bobus won't play, and Babie will be Queen Mab-��"
"I suppose," said the mother, "that it is not harder to bring Queen Mab in with Perseus than Oberon with Theseus and Hippolyta-��"
"You would have us infer," said the Doctor with grave humour, "that your children are at their present growth in the Elizabethan age of culture��-"
But again began a "Well, but papa!" but, he exclaimed, "Do look at that boy��- Well walloped, dragon!" as Jock with preternatural contortions, rolled, kicked and tumbled himself with extended jaws to the rock, alias stand, to which Polly was chained, she remarking in a hoarse, low whisper, "Naughty boy��-"
"Well moaned, Andromeda!"
"But papa," persisted Janet, "when Oliver Cromwell-��"
"Oh! look at the Gorgon!" cried the mother, as the battered head of an ancient doll was displayed over his shoulder by Perseus, decorated with two enormous snakes, one made of stamps, and the other a spiral of whalebone shavings out of a box.
The monster immediately tumbled over, twisted, kicked, and wriggled so that the scandalised Perseus exclaimed: "But Jock-��monster, I mean-��you're turned into stone-��"
"It's convulsions," replied the monster, gasping frightfully, while redoubling his contortions, though Queen Mab observed in the most admonitory tone, touching him at the same time with her wand, "Don't you know, Skipjack, that's the reason you don't grow-��"
"Eh! What's the new theory! Who says so, Babie?" came from the bottom of the table.
"Nurse says so, papa," answered Allen; "I heard her telling Jock yesterday that he would never be any taller till he stood still and gave himself time."
"Get out, will you!" was then heard from the prostrate Robert, the monster having taken care to become petrified right across his legs.
"But papa," Janet's voice was heard, "if Oliver Cromwell had not helped the Waldenses��-"
It was lost, for Bobus and Jock were rolling over together with too much noise to be bearable; Grandmamma turned round with an expostulatory "My dears," Mamma with "Boys, please don't when papa is tired-��"
"Jock is such a little ape," said Bobus, picking himself up. "Father, can you tell me why the moon draws up the tides on the wrong side?"
"You may study the subject," said the Doctor; "I shall pack you all off to the seaside in a day or two."
There was one outcry from mother, wife, and boys, "Not without you?"
"I can't go till Drew comes back from his outing-��"
"But why should we? It would be so much nicer all together."
"It will be horribly dull without; indeed I never can see the sense of going at all," said Janet.
There was a confused outcry of indignation, in which waves-��crabs-�� boats and shrimps, were all mingled together,
"I'm sure that's not half so entertaining as hearing people talk in the evening," said Janet.
"You precocious little piece of dissipation," said her mother, laughing.
"I didn't mean fine lady nonsense," said Janet, rather hotly; "I meant talk like-��"
"Like big guns. Oh, yes, we know," interrupted Allen; "Janet does not think anyone worth listening to that hasn't got a whole alphabet tacked behind his name."
"Janet had better take care, and Bobus too," said the Doctor, "or we shall have to send them to vegetate on some farm, and see the cows milked and the pigs fed."
"I'm afraid Bobus would apply himself to finding how much caseine matter was in the cow's milk," said Janet in her womanly tone.
"Or by what rule the pigs curled their tails," said her father, with a mischievous pull at the black plaited tail that hung down behind her.
And then they all rose from the table, little Barbara starting up as soon as grace was said. "Father, please, you are the Giant Queen Mab always rides!"
"Queen Mab, or Queen Bab, always rides me, which comes to the same thing. Though as to the size of the Giant-��"
There was a pause to let grandmamma go up in peace, upon Mother Carey's arm, and then a general romp and scurry all the way up the stairs, ending by Jock's standing on one leg on the top post of the baluster, like an acrobat, an achievement which made even his father so giddy that he peremptorily desired it never to be attempted again, to the great relief of both the ladies. Then, coming into the drawing-room, Babie perched herself on