160 BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

“What an age you have kept me!”

“T have kept you?” replied Buttercup ; ‘ why, I never even heard
of you.”

“My name is Featherpate,” said the boy, ‘‘and I have been waiting
for you since quite early morning. You are my new playfellow.
Come along; we shall have time for a good game of romps before the
sun sets, if we are quick.”

‘“ But I have to go up the mountain,” said Buttercup. “ I'd like
very much to play with you, of course ’—he sighed as he spoke—“ but
there’s no time for play just now. I have to go up the mountain
with this parcel. What are you laughing at, boy? I think you are
very rude!”

“Oh, Tean’t help it,’ said Featherpate ; “you do look so absurdly
comical, it is quite delicious to see you. Oh, my sides quite ache with
laughing! You poor little good-for-naught—and are you really going
to mind what Mrs. Discipline says? Are you really going to carry
that whip up to Mr. Penalty with your own hand?”

“This is a parcel, not a whip,” said Buttercup, but he turned a little
pale as he spoke.

“You open it, and see if the parcel doesn’t contain a whip—and
what’s the whip for, but to lay across your shoulders, my nice little
man? Well, before Pd carry my own whip !—but you are too funny
—too funny for anything!”

Here Featherpate rolled about on the ground, and turned topsy-
turvy, standing one minute on his feet, the next on his head, and
altogether behaving in a truly ridiculous manner. Buttercup tore off
a tiny piece of the paper which covered the slender parcel, and true
enough there was the handle of a smart riding-whip quite distinctly
visible inside.

“Come,” said Featherpate, “it is a good thing I am here to
meet you. Come down into the marble halls, and let’s have a play.”

But ” began Buttercup.

“Oh, don’t begin any more of those silly buts; come along as fast
as you can. ‘The halls are warm and gaily lit, and there’s lots to eat
and pretty playthings to amuse ourselves with.”