"
"Perhaps not, Frederick," said he slowly, turning a rather wistful
face toward Melissa, who had come in with a pan full of coals. "There
is one thing I quite forgot, Melissa."
"What's that, sir?"
"I forgot to stipulate that the 'Carol' HAD to be read on Christmas
Eve in every one of these homes. Dear me, how could I have been so
thoughtless."
"I wouldn't worry about that, sir. You're giving these people enough
trouble without doing that to them. And as for you, Master Frederick,
you'll probably find that instead of reading the 'Carol' to you
they'll take you out in the woodshed and give you a touch of Dante's
Infernal every once in awhile."
"I'll--I'll kill 'em if they do," cried Frederick loudly.
"Frederick the Great!" exclaimed Melissa with vast scorn. "Here now,
you there, get to work and fetch the chairs and stools in from the
bedrooms and put 'em up to the table. There's a couple in the kitchen,
Wilber. Hustle out and--"
"Don't call me Wilber," snapped Wilberforce. "Haven't I always told
you I hate it? Remember you're only a servant.
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