It Is the Child!

           ThenextafternoonthreemembersoftheLargeFamilysatintheIndiangentleman’slibrary,doingtheirbesttocheerhimup.Theyhadbeenallowedtocomeintoperformthisofficebecausehehadspeciallyinvitedthem.Hehadbeenlivinginastateofsuspenseforsometime,andtodayhewaswaitingforacertaineventveryanxiously.ThiseventwasthereturnofMr.CarmichaelfromMoscow.Hisstaytherehadbeenprolongedfromweektoweek.Onhisfirstarrivalthere,hehadnotbeenablesatisfactorilytotracethefamilyhehadgoneinsearchof.Whenhefeltatlastsurethathehadfoundthemandhadgonetotheirhouse,hehadbeentoldthattheywereabsentonajourney.Hiseffortstoreachthemhadbeenunavailing,sohehaddecidedtoremaininMoscowuntiltheirreturn.Mr.Carrisfordsatinhisrecliningchair,andJanetsatonthefloorbesidehim.HewasveryfondofJanet.Norahadfoundafootstool,andDonaldwasastridethetiger’sheadwhichornamentedtherugmadeoftheanimal’sskin.Itmustbeownedthathewasridingitratherviolently.

           "Don’tchirrupsoloud,Donald,"Janetsaid."Whenyoucometocheeranillpersonupyoudon’tcheerhimupatthetopofyourvoice.Perhapscheeringupistooloud,Mr.Carrisford?"turningtotheIndiangentleman.

           Butheonlypattedhershoulder.

           "No,itisn’t,"heanswered."Anditkeepsmefromthinkingtoomuch."

           "I’mgoingtobequiet,"Donaldshouted."We’llallbeasquietasmice."

           "Micedon’tmakeanoiselikethat,"saidJanet.