"Flowers? Oh no, one cannot eat flowers if they choose. I give it up."
"Well, then, watch," and lifting the cover slowly, three cunning white rabbits poked their little twitching noses over the edge of the basket.
Phil gazed at them delightedly. "And you call those little darlings something to eat, do you?"
"If you choose, yes."
"As if any one could choose to be such a cannibal! What precious little beauties they are! Oh, how pretty they look!"
"They are for you."
"Really! Oh, thank you, Graham. But you must ask Miss Schuyler."
"I did, and I am to build them a hutch. Until I do, there is an empty box in the barn where they can stay."
"And you can build--handle tools like a carpenter? How nice that must be!"
"Oh, that"s nothing; all boys can do that."
Graham forgot that Phil was one boy who could not, but seeing the shade come over his friend"s face made him repent his hasty speech.
"I beg your pardon," he said, in a low voice.
"No, you need not, Graham. I must get used to being different from other boys. Well, these are just the loveliest little things I ever saw. What do they live on?"
"Almost any green thing; they are very fond of lettuce. When you are able you must come and see my lop-ears."
"Have you many rabbits?"
"Yes, quite a number. Let me see: there"s Neb (he"s an old black fellow--Nebuchadnezzar), and Miss Snowflake, Aunt Chloe (after the one in _Uncle Tom"s Cabin_), f.a.n.n.y Elssler (because she jumps about so), and Mr. Prim--- he is the stillest old codger you ever saw."
"What other pets have you?"
"I"ve lots of chickens, three dogs, two cats, a squirrel, and a parrot."
"A large family."
"Yes, almost too large; they will have to be given up soon."
"How soon?"
"In the fall, I suppose; I am going to boarding-school."
"What fun!"
"You would be amused with Polly. She is a gay old thing--laughs, sings, and dances."
"Oh, Graham, can she do all that?"
"Indeed she can; sometimes she sings like a nurse putting a child to sleep, in a sort of humming hush-a-by-baby way; then she tries dance-music, and hops first on one foot, then on the other--this way,"
and Graham began mimicking the parrot, and Phil laughed till the tears came.
"She screams out "Fire!" like an old fury, but she is as serene as a May day when she gets her cup of coffee."
"Is that your parrot, Graham?" asked Miss Schuyler.
"Yes, ma"am, that"s our green-and-golden Polly."
"We will have to pay it a visit. Can you join our picnic to-morrow? it is Phil"s first one."
"Really! why, he has a good deal to learn of our country ways."
"Yes, and I have a little plan to propose in which you may help us.
Promise you will come."
"Oh, I am always ready, thank you, Miss Schuyler. Shall we go by boat?"
"To be sure, to Eagle Island."
"Then we will go early, I suppose, as it is quite a long pull. What must I bring, Miss Schuyler?"
"Only your arms, Graham, for alone Joe will perhaps find the rowing a little too much in the warm sun. I am Commissary-General for the party.
That means, Phil, that I furnish the provisions: a Commissary-General has to see that his troops are well fed."
"There is no danger about that, I am sure," said Graham, gallantly, "if Miss Schuyler leads us."
"Well, then, to-morrow at nine, before the sun is too high--earlier would not do for Phil. And now be off with yourself: and your bunnies, Graham, leave them in the barn; and tell your good, kind father that you are an excellent subst.i.tute for himself, that Phil is improving even faster with your visits than he did with his."
"Good-bye, then, Phil; good-bye, Miss Schuyler. To-morrow at nine."
CHAPTER X
THE PICNIC
It was a perfect morning. Blue sky, with pure little snow-drop clouds, as if the angels had dropped them from their baskets as they tended the flowers in the heavenly gardens. The lake sparkled and glistened in the sunshine, and every wave seemed to leap joyously as it broke in soft foam on the sh.o.r.e. In one end of the _Flyaway_ sat Phil, on a pile of shawls; in the other were stowed a large basket, a pail of ice, and a pail of milk, and in between were Miss Rachel, Lisa, Joe, and Graham.
Phil had twisted up a little nosegay for each, and had pinned a broad wreath of grape-leaves around Joe"s straw hat, making the old fellow laugh at his nonsense. They were just pushing off, when a sudden rattling of chain and some impatient barks from Nep showed that he began to feel neglected.
"I thought we could get away unnoticed," said Miss Rachel, "but I find myself mistaken."
The boys pleaded for Nep. "Ah, let him come, please let him come."
Nep"s leaps becoming frantic, Miss Rachel yielded, and Graham soon had him loosened. He jumped at once into the boat, and crept under Phil"s feet, making a nice warm mat.
"Poor Nep," said Phil, patting him, "he felt neglected"; and the big tail wagged thankful thumps against the boat.