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CHAPTER III.

UNCLE TOM'S HOUSE.

NCLE Tom's house was a pretty place, standing in the midst of a number of trees, and everything

round about it looked green. There were four children capering on the doorsteps as the dog-cart drove up to the door. Two boys and two girls, that is, most people would have called them children, but Hugh and Harry thought that one of them was almost a man-which meant that he was a little bigger than themselves.

This eldest one came forward as Uncle Tom drew up, and said—

'Well, father.'

'Well, my son,' said Uncle Tom, 'here is

your Uncle George, and here are your cousins. This is Guy,' said he, turning to Hugh and Harry, and then Guy held out his hand, and said to the boys-'I am very glad to see you. Alice, these are cousins Hugh and Harry; Walter, Eddy, come here and shake hands. Now, shall you like to come and feed the rabbits?'

'I think that perhaps your cousins may be tired, Guy,' said his father.

But Harry and Hugh said they would rather feed the rabbits than anything else, and so all six of the children scampered off as hard as they could run. Hugh and Harry had thought that they would feel shy at first being with their strange cousins, but Guy did not seem to remember that they were strange.

'You shall feed them,' said Guy to his cousins; I have done it every day, you know.'

Harry and Hugh had never before had dear little tame rabbits in their arms, and they thought they should never be tired of

stroking them and playing with them. Once or twice the little girl Eddy, who was only five years old, said she wished that they would not stop with the rabbits so long; but it did not come into the mind of Hugh or Harry to leave the rabbits to please Eddy, and Guy had to keep his little sister patient by saying that they would very soon go to the cocks and hens.

At last Harry and Hugh had seen enough of the rabbits, and they went with their cousins to the farm-yard. I am sorry to say that they were rather rude, for when they found what a funny cackling the fowls made when they were chased, they hunted them round and round the yard, although Guy called to them again and again to stop.

I think they never would have stopped at all until they had half killed some of the fowls; as it was, the poor birds were flying awkwardly over the pigstys and everything in their way, and squeaking like mad cocks and hens, when a loud voice suddenly came and stopped them

'Who's that hunting the cocks and hens ?'

Hugh and Harry stood still and looked about to see where the voice came from. The next moment Uncle Tom appeared, and he said

'Children, have not you been told, again and again, not to teaze the fowls? Guy, I am surprised at you. I thought you would have known better.'

Hugh and Harry expected that Guy would say directly, 'It was not I; it was my cousins.' But Guy held his tongue.

The other three children, Walter, Alice, and Edith, had left the farm-yard as soon as they had taken the eggs.

'Such a bad example to your cousins,' said Uncle Tom, and you older than both of them. I am very angry with you.'

Guy's eyes filled with tears, and he looked towards Hugh and Harry; he could not think why they did not say that he had had nothing to do with hunting the fowls; but neither of his cousins spoke, they only looked very sheepish and red.

'You had better go in-doors,' said Uncle Tom to Guy, and Guy walked slowly to the house. Harry and Hugh did not see him again that evening, and they were afraid of asking after him, so they tried to forget all about the farm-yard and hunting the fowls, and to amuse themselves by listening to Aunt Sophy as she talked, or played the piano and sung songs to them.

Uncle Tom and Hugh's papa were very busy talking together; for Hugh's papa was going back to London the next morning, and of course they had a great deal to say.

Once, during the evening, Aunt Sophy went away, and stopped out of the room for some time, and then the boys had to amuse themselves, so they wandered all over the drawing-room, looking at all the ornaments.

There was a little bracket-stand at one corner of the room, and Harry must needs go pulling about the little china ornaments which were upon it. Presently he dropped a small cup. His heart stood still with fear for the moment,-not at what he had done,