Page:Story of the robins.djvu/119

Rh restored. But Mrs. Benson, though capable of conversing on most subjects, could not engage Mrs. Addis in any discourse but upon the perfection of her birds and beasts, and a variety of uninteresting particulars were related concerning their wit or misfortunes.

On hearing the clock strike seven, Mrs. Addis begged Mrs. Benson to excuse her, as she made it a constant rule to see all her dear darlings fed at that hour, and entreated that she and the young lady would take a turn in the garden in the meanwhile. This was very ill-bred, but Mrs. Benson desired she would use no ceremonies with her, and was really glad of the respite it gave her from company so irksome, and Harriet was happy to be alone with her mamma; she, however, forbore making any remarks on Mrs. Addis, because she had been taught that it did not become young persons to censure the behaviour of those who were older than themselves.

The garden was spacious, but overrun with weeds; the gravel walks were so rough for want of rolling that it was quite painful to tread on them, and the grass on the lawn so long that there was no walking with any comfort, for the gardener was almost continually going on some errand or another for Mrs. Addis's darlings; so Mrs. Benson and her daughter