ear, and oh how ugly it was! 'Birstle peas' colour they called it, and how
ashamed I was of the time I had to wear it. 'Little miss in her birstle-peas
gown' was a byword in the countryside. No, my Pamela, I should be sorry to have
to dress you in such a gown."
"I'll try not to tear my nice white gowns," said the little girl;
"Nurse said she would mend it, but it would take her a long time. Grandmamma,"
she went on, suddenly changing the subject, "what does a 'charge' mean,
'a great charge?'"
"Yes," said Marmaduke, who heard what she said, "'a very great
charge.'"
Grandpapa's eyes grew brighter.
"Can they be speaking of a field of battle?" he said quickly. But
Duke turned his large wistful blue eyes on him before Grandmamma had time to
answer.
"No, sir," he said, in his slow earnest way, "it wasn't about
battles; it was about us."
"She said us was that thing," added Pamela.
"Who said so?" inquired Grandmamma, and her voice was perhaps a little,
a very little, sh
