other castles in this vicinity, and who is styled the Lord Warden.

As they walked along the quai toward this hotel, and passed groups of children playing together on the platforms and pavements, it seemed very strange to Florence and John to hear them all talking English. It had been a long time since they had heard children talking English in the streets.

20

CHAPTER XX.

PLAYING COURIER.

THE party rested at Dover for a day or two, and then proceeded to London, where Mrs. Morelle took lodgings and remained a little more than a week. During this time the children amused themselves very well, sometimes in making excursions into the environs, in a carriage, with their mother, and sometimes in rambling by themselves along some well known street of shops, like Regent Street or the Strand, looking at the brilliant display of articles for sale in the shop windows, and now and then going in to purchase any curious thing which attracted their attention, and which they thought they would like to take with them to America. At the end of a week however they began to get tired of London, as in fact almost every body does in that time, excepting young ladies and young gentlemen who gain admission to fashionable society there, and who spend their time in dressing and making calls, and in going to dinner and to

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the season,

evening parties, and to concerts and balls. These seem never to get tired, as long as as they call it, lasts ;—which is until parliament rises-usually early in the summer. Then the balls and parties suddenly cease, and all the fashionable people go to spend the remainder of the summer and the autumn in the country.

But Florence and John, who cared nothing about these things, became tired of London in a week, and began to ask their mother when she was going to set out again on her journey.

"It is nearly a fortnight yet," said Mrs. Morelle, "before the steamer sails that I have taken passage in. I could not get a passage earlier, for all the good state-rooms were taken. And now which will be most agreeable for us, do you think, to spend that time in London, where there are so many curious sights to be seen, or in travelling ?”

"In travelling," said Florence and John, both speaking together.

"We might take a little tour in Wales," rejoined Mrs. Morelle, in a musing manner, as if half speaking to herself.

"Yes, mother," said Florence eagerly. "That will be just the thing."

"Only," continued Mrs. Morelle, "there are no railroads scarcely in Wales. The country is