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'••I'-c m 
 
 
 
 
 tfW^-i 
 
 
 it. 
 
 
 
 fi<4c„..i,. 
 
Z^'" 
 
 ^*^^^^^*^^*-'^W>^-wMu 
 
THE ODDS AND THE EVENa 
 
The Odds 
 
 and 
 
 The Evens 
 
 BY 
 
 if 
 
 L. T. MEADE 
 
 AiriioH OF 'light o' 
 
 ::s'»;:r-::v.:,;™™.-"^-.v..„.....„; 
 
 SLHOOL-GIKL,' KTC. 
 
 I 
 
 WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY 
 
 PERCY TARRANT 
 
 W. J. GAGE & CO., Limited. 
 TORONTO. 
 
p 
 
 ~( 
 
 S7 
 
 0^1 
 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 VJ, 
 
 i 
 
 WHAT Tlirs STORY IS AHOUT 
 
 ^00\\ I. 
 
 EASTER HOLIDAYS. 
 
 I. THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH OIRL 
 
 n. THE CARLINCJFORDS AT HOME 
 
 HI. THE NAr(;HTY UTTLE SISTERS 
 
 IV. VEAL I'JES AND OOLI) SAl'SACMOS 
 
 V. A DECLARATION OF WAR 
 
 VI. FOR A WEEK 
 
 VIL NINA THE INCORRUJIRLE 
 
 VIII. THE DECLARATION 
 
 IX. A KISS FROM MOTHER 
 
 X. Rl'LES OF WAR 
 
 S UMME R HO LI DA Y S. 
 
 XL A STAUTLINO ARRANGEMENT 
 
 XIL PREPARATIONS 
 
 XIIL PATIENCE LAUGHED 
 
 XIV. SPONGE-CAKES 
 
 XV. JACK-IN-THE-nox 
 
 XVL WITH THE GIPSIES 
 
 PAOB 
 .. 1 
 
 .. 6 
 . 20 
 
 .. .;4 
 
 . ,3 
 62 
 . 7U 
 . 77 
 . .,0 
 .102 
 111 
 
 .110 
 .131 
 .146 
 .159 
 .173 
 .189 
 
VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 '""'■ PAOE 
 
 XVII. 'IT CANNOT fiO OX ' 202 
 
 XVIII. THE Sl'KLIJXr; GIIiL 214 
 
 XIX. A IJKTWIXT 231 
 
 XX. i;i;psiiiAH LKK 242 
 
 XXI. A Sl-OIiMV irh:.\l!T o-,~ 
 
 XXII. THK SI>KI,I,IN(; I.KSSON 271 
 
 XXin. (ilEKN OF THE FAIll 288 
 
 ^C0h HI. 
 
 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. 
 
 XXrV. HALF A-CKOWN 304 
 
 XXV. «I)0N'T liK SII-ICNT' 3,jj 
 
 XXV'I. 'lKT'.S find TUIC .SIM.IRST .SH()1>' 331 
 
 XXVII. 'A THRILI.DOWN-VOUIMJACK' 349 
 
 VXVIII. THE SOVEHKIUN 3^3 
 
 XXIX. A DESI'EUATE UNDKIITAKINO 377 
 
 XXX. TO THE RESCUE 35)1 
 
 XXXI. IN THE SNOW, 
 
 .402 
 
 '.XXII. THE END OF IT ALL jj]. 
 
 I 
 
List of h lustfmtions. 
 
 PAOE 
 
 % 
 'a 
 
 1 
 
 Tlie two queens met in tlie liule coj.so at tlie bottom of the 
 
 ^•■'^"*^ '''^^^" Frontupiece 
 
 Peach was hoisting the white flag of victory 9 
 
 The little gill (larte.1 a few feet away, and presently was 
 pirouetting wildly round .-, 
 
 Nina uttered her cruel words without the smallest change of 
 colour 
 
 •If you think I'm going to bend these knees you're fine and 
 mistook' 
 
 8,3 
 
 142 
 
 Kosaleen caught hold of her hand and looked at the bangles 190 
 
 The next instant that sovereign was in the pocket of her little 
 
 '■''^^™'='^ 253 
 
 • No^^• you are our Queen, and you shall come and sit on the 
 
 throne in the very middle of the fair' 298 
 
 'Speak out, missy ; you were after no good, I '11 be bound ' 369 
 
 The child was lying on her back ; her arms were stretched out 
 
 wide; . . . her eyes were closed 49^ 
 
1 
 
 1 
 
 J 
 
^ 
 
 ■, ^fWv. 
 
 THE ODDS AND THE EVENS. 
 
 WffAT THIS STORY IS ABOUT. 
 
 -% 
 
 -vt. 
 
 IHIS is a story of a great battle— how it 
 began, how it continued, the many 
 adventures and excitements and heart- 
 burnings and miseries which it caused, 
 and the final victory— but on which side I will 
 not say. It is called, to this day. in Priory 
 Square, the Battle of the Odds and Evens. 
 
 At the time when the story begins there was no 
 battle, but everything was going smoothly and 
 harmoniously; not, of course, without those little 
 reverses which occur in the best-regulated families, 
 but there was nothing to make a commotion or to 
 "^Theotd^ 1*'''*''''' '^ ^^^ neighbours to the affair. 
 
 The Odds and the Evens. * 
 
2 WHAT THIS STOUY IS AHOUT. 
 
 The cliildren loved each other in the inconsequent, 
 happy-go-h.cky style of healthy children. Tliey 
 were glad to meet, on the whole, and sorry to part, 
 on the whole; and there would never have been 
 any battle, and nothing very serious would Imve 
 occurred, had it not been for the presence of 
 Nina. 
 
 ^ But I must begin the story right away; and, 
 first, I shall have to describe the Freres and the 
 Carlingfords, as without that description what I 
 have to say might not be intelligible. 
 
 Dr Frere had a large house just at the corner of 
 Priory Square. Priory Square was situated in a 
 midland town in England, which, for the purposes 
 of this narrative, I will call Warrencliffe. It was 
 a large town, numbering some thousands of inhabi- 
 tants; but it was not too large for the children 
 in Priory Square to walk to the country when they 
 plea.sed; and it was not too crowded to admit of 
 shady, comfortable, and luxurious gardens— gardens 
 with high walls, well stocked with fruit-trees, and 
 with gay parterres full of flowers of every sort 
 and description, with tennis-courts and hockey- 
 courts. All the houses in Priory Square were large 
 and substantial and handsome-looking. There was 
 a sense of space about them; and, although the 
 square was in the midst of a large town, it had 
 
 •a 
 
WHAT THIS STOKV IS AliOITT. 3 
 
 very few .mn efiects, for tlio trees in the centre 
 kept their cr,een until quite late in the season 
 ami the Frercs and the C^u-lin.c,for,ls in particular 
 couM clin.h their stately branches and shout to each 
 other from amidst their plentiful folia^ro. 
 
 The Carlin^rfords had no father, Md.ich n.ade their 
 case, when the great fi<rht becran, all the sadder 
 and more complicate.!, and decidedly put the Freres 
 very much in the M.-ong. Mrs Carlino-ford was 
 a widow; she had plenty of n.oney, and lived in 
 the house on the opposite side of the scjuare to 
 the Freres-not so far away but that, before the 
 f^^i^ht began, they could have all kinds of communl- 
 cations of the telegraphic order going on from attic 
 to attic. 
 
 But now I must describe the families themselves 
 To begin with the Freres. There were two very 
 pretty gh-ls. They were so like that it was diffic.dt 
 to know one from the other; they were hearty 
 happy, healthy children, aged fifteen and fourteen' 
 and their names were Prudence and Patience. Dr 
 Frere had come of an old Quaker stock : and he liked 
 a.s he expressed it, to give names with meanings in 
 tl.em to his children. The girls were, of course 
 never known as anything but Prue and Patty.' 
 They had brown eyes and rosy cheeks and brown 
 hair and dimpling mouths and rounded limbs and 
 
4 WHAT THIS STORY IS ABOUT. 
 
 were so healthy that Dr Frere used to say that they 
 were almost wasted on a doctor, as he could never 
 make experiments on them, or dose them with tonics, 
 or anything else. 
 
 There were no boys in the Frere family. Prue 
 and Patty came first ; and then a lung way below 
 them canie a little girl called Kosaleon. She was 
 a dark and very handsome child, aged eleven, 
 and was called after the famous Dark Rosaleen,' 
 so well known to all lovers of Irish ballads.' 
 The next girl was called Amelie. She was only 
 a year younger, and when this story begins was 
 ten. Rosaleen was generally spoken of as Rose, and 
 Amelie as Amy. Thus there were four girls in the 
 Frere family, and they were known in the time 
 of the great fight as the Evens. 
 
 Now the Carlingfords were, of course, the Odds; 
 and this can be soon explained when a little is said 
 with regard to the chief members of the household 
 The grown-ups had nothing to say to the great 
 battle, and for a long time did not even know of 
 its existence. To begin with the youngest in that 
 house: there were twins-a boy and a girl aged 
 ten, who went by the names of Fred and Peach; 
 and there were two big boys called Kenneth and 
 Malcolm, aged thirteen and fourteen ; and then there 
 was Nina, who was the cause of all the mischief, 
 
 I 
 
' that they 
 3uld never 
 vith tonics, 
 
 ily. Prue 
 vay below 
 
 SIlO WHS 
 
 d eleven, 
 Rosaleen, 
 1 ballads, 
 was only 
 Jgins was 
 Rose, and 
 rls in the 
 the time 
 
 WHAT THIS STORY IS ABOUT. 5 
 
 and who wa. the most provocative, fascinating 
 irntating, wild, impish girl in the world, and sh 
 was aged fifteen. 
 
 In the Carlingford household there were five 
 children ,n all. In the Frere household there were 
 four There was no earthly reason why they should 
 
 w 1, but they d.d not; and this .tory is all about 
 why they did not. and how they did not. and the 
 
 he Odds; 
 lo is said 
 lousehold. 
 he great 
 know of 
 I in that 
 ;irl aged 
 1 Peach ; 
 leth and 
 len there 
 mischief, 
 
 i 
 1 
 
6 
 
 §00h I. 
 
 EASTER HOLIDAYS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH GIRL. 
 
 llrasnfSE 
 
 sni 
 
 ' 
 
 V', 
 
 K 
 
 '3' 
 
 
 1 
 
 m 
 
 
 INA CARLINGFOftD had been away in 
 Brussels for two years. She had gone 
 there when she was thirteen, and had 
 stayed for the first six months with 
 an aunt, who had looked after her, and then had 
 been placed at an excellent school in the Avenue 
 Louise. Her coming home was a great event, 
 more particularly as it was very doubtful whether 
 she would go back again. 
 
 Kenneth and Malcolm were strictly of the opinion 
 that she would be very troublesome, and give 
 herself airs, and would interfere with them in their 
 different vocations. They went to an excellent 
 
I away m 
 
 had fifone 
 and had 
 iths with 
 then had 
 e Avenue 
 at event, 
 whether 
 
 e opinion 
 
 and give 
 
 I in their 
 
 excellent 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH GIRL. 7 
 
 Grammar School within a stone's-throw of Priory 
 Square, and had many companions amongst the boys 
 and had the busy life which falls to the lot of the 
 modern schoolboy. They were not particularly elated 
 at the thought of Nina's return; but the twins 
 Fred and Peach, were delighted, and spent their 
 time making many preparations for the great event 
 Nina had, all to herself, a very small room at the 
 top of the big house. Her mother had given her 
 this bedroom soon after her father's death, and 
 when she .as still quite a little child. Nina had 
 ornamented the room after her own fashion; and 
 as she never did anything like anybody else, it 
 had a quaintness and charm about it which can be 
 better felt than described. It was not, strictly 
 speaking, a pretty room. The walls, instead of being 
 papered in the ordinary way with the ordinary 
 modern and esthetic paper, were covered all over 
 with pictures. A good many of these pictures had 
 been drawn by the little girl herself, and a good 
 many by her favourite companions; but some had 
 been cut out of the illustrated papers. One side 
 of the room was devoted entirely to the representa- 
 tion of animals-animals of all sorts and sizes, of 
 all kinds and degrees. Another wall represented 
 faines, gnomes, and brown... and sprite.-some 
 coloured, some in black-and-white. There were 
 
8 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH QIRL. 
 
 flights of fairies over flowery landscapes, and 
 there were wicked-looking brownies trying to upset 
 the housemaid's work at night, and there were 
 brownies and fairies who had taken for the time 
 being the form of eats and dogs — every kind, some 
 impish, some lovely, disported themselves on one 
 of the walls of Nina's bedroom. 
 
 Then there was the wall which was devoted to 
 young-ladyhood — girls dating back, some of them, 
 many centuries, girls of the present day, girls young 
 and girls old, girls sad and girls glad, girls of 
 every sort; but the fourth wall was the most 
 exciting of all, for it represented all sorts and de- 
 grees of subjects : battlts, in which men lay wounded 
 where they had fallen; wonderful landscapes, some 
 of great beauty, some of equal gloom; lovers in the 
 act of parting; husbands and wives, with all sorts 
 of stories written on their faces ; brides and bride- 
 grooms at the hymeneal altar; fathers and mothers 
 watching the sports of their oflspiing. And Nina 
 had so skilfully grouped the pictures on this special 
 wall that they seemed to form a focus in the 
 middle, and to go deep in, so that your eye seemed 
 to be travelling over miles and miles of country. 
 Altogether it was most effective and extraordinary, 
 and was considered a work of genius by Ken and 
 Malcolm, and also by the twins, Fred and Peach. 
 
 ..A 
 
sapes, and 
 ig to upset 
 ihere were 
 ? the time 
 kind, some 
 i» on one 
 
 devoted to 
 
 of them, 
 'iris young 
 1, girls of 
 
 ihe most 
 ts and de- 
 y wounded 
 apes, some 
 ^ers in the 
 1 all sorts 
 and bride- 
 d mothers 
 And Nina 
 his special 
 is in the 
 ye seemed 
 f country, 
 'aordinary, 
 
 Ken and 
 
 Peach. 
 
 I 
 
 M 
 
i 
 
 Peach was hoisting the wJutu flag of victory. Page 'J 
 
THE ARIUVAL OF TFfE IMPfSH QIRL. 
 
 Page y 
 
 sJ: 
 .1 
 
 9 
 
 Well, the room was got into order, the carpet 
 .swept, the bed newly made, tlie dimity curtains put 
 up fresh to the windows; everything was as it 
 ought to be when the day arrived on which Nina 
 was to come back. 
 
 Early in the morning Peach got softly out of bed, 
 and, running upstairs with bare feet, reached the 
 top attic of the house. From there she climbed up 
 a ladder, pushed open the trap-door, and a moment 
 later the daring child was creeping along the roof. 
 Fastened to one of the chimneys very securely by 
 an iron band was a flagstaff which the Carlingford 
 boys had hoisted a long time ago. It was not a 
 flagstafl- of the ordinary kind, but stood up erect 
 and firm on its elevated perch; and now Peach was 
 hoisting tlie flag, the white flag of victory, aloft; 
 for was not Nina coming back that day? 
 
 She ran downstairs again, dressed herself hastily, 
 and wont into Fred's room, which adjoined hers.' 
 Fred was sound asleep ; his dark curly hishes lay 
 on his rosy cheeks. When Peach bounded upon the 
 bed, shaking him all over, he roused himself with 
 a growl. 
 
 •Now. what is it?' he said. 'I say. you fellows. 
 I m not going to stand it. I'll punch your heads 
 it you do it again.' 
 
 'Oh Fred! Fred!' laughed Peach, 'you are such 
 
10 
 
 THE AuRIVAL OP THE IMPISH GIRL. 
 
 a queer boy. I have been doing what I said I 
 would. Won't Kenneth and Malcohn be in a 
 rage ? ' 
 
 Fred opened his eyes lazily. 
 
 ' Why, you are up and dressed,' he said. ' What 's 
 the matter?' 
 
 'Why, Nina is the matter,' said Peach. 'She's 
 coming to-day, don't you know?' 
 
 * Oh, bother ! ' answered Fred. The next moment 
 he was effectually roused by a smart slap on his 
 cheek. This had come from Peach's very firm 
 hand. 
 
 'What is the matter?' he said, half rising on 
 his pillow. 
 
 ' You are copying Malcolm and Ken,' she exclaimed. 
 'You didn't say "bother" last night; you heard 
 them say it, and you're a mean thing, and I 
 hate you, and I'm not going to play with you 
 to-day. It's Nina that's coming back— Nina, the 
 most wonderful girl in all the world— and I'm 
 not going to stand it if you turn tail. Turn tail 
 you may; but you needn't expect me to stay with 
 you.' 
 
 'Oh, I didn't for a single instant mean that,' said 
 Fred, very much alarired at this indignation on the 
 part of his twin-sister. 
 
 'You did mean it. I see the lie in your eyes,' 
 
THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH GIRL. 
 
 11 
 
 am not going to say another 
 
 i 
 
 answered Peach, 
 word to you.' 
 
 She left the room, slamming the door after her. 
 Fred uttered a deep sigh, and looked gloomily across 
 liis tiny chamber. 
 
 'What tiresome things girls are!' he said to him- 
 self. 'I'll have to make it up with Peach. I 
 cannot live without her, somehow. She's my twin; 
 I suppose that's it. But I really will be glad 
 when I get away to school. Why, Ken said yester- 
 day I was a little muff. I hate being a muff. I 
 suppose when Nina comes I'll be more of a muff 
 than ever. But I know what I'll do. I needn't 
 make it up with Peach at all. I'll go across and 
 have a chat with Amy. Amy Frere is a right- 
 down nice sort of girl, and she never calls me a 
 muff, and I'll go along and complain of Peach — that 
 I will.' 
 
 No sooner had this thought come to Fr(!d than 
 ho rose softly. He could be quite sly when he liked. 
 He was absolutely afraid of Peach, who was mucli 
 the more masterful of the twins, and he did not 
 want her to pounce upon him again. He knew 
 perfectly well that Kenneth and Malcolm would not 
 take the smallest notice if he went to them blubber- 
 ing, as he called it. The only thing was to secure 
 the friendship of Amy, who was very nice and very 
 
12 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH GIRL. 
 
 pretfcy-much prettier than Peach, who. in Fred'8 
 opinion, was a very so-so sort of girl, although 
 she was his twin. 
 
 He dressed himself hastily, looked at the clock- 
 it wanted ten minutes to seven-and rushed out of 
 the house. He slid down the banisters and reached 
 the ground-floor. He snatched up his cap. and. lettin. 
 himself out, rushed across Priory Square. He soon 
 reached the Freres' house. It was in some ways a 
 more imposing house than the Carlingfords', and the 
 brass plate on the door which bore Dr Frere's name 
 had always a subduing effect on Fred. He managed 
 however, to lift the great, ponderous knocker, and 
 gave It the sort of half-tremulous sound which 
 IS the result when the person who knocks has to 
 stand on tiptoe. Presently a maid-servant opened 
 the door. 
 
 ■Why, Master Fred, what are you doing ?• «he .said. 
 It s barely seven o'clock ! ' 
 
 •I want to see Amy. Is she up?' 
 'I don't know.' 
 
 'May I run up and see, please. Jane?' 
 'I suppose you may. Master Fred.' 
 'Jane,' said Fred, looking at her reflectively 'did 
 you ever have a quarrel with your twin ? ' 
 
 'Lor', Master Fred, I ain't got a twin,' said Jane. 
 Whatever is wrong, sir?' 
 
in Fred's 
 although 
 
 le clock — 
 ed out of 
 3 reached 
 id, letting 
 He soon 
 3 ways a 
 , and the 
 re's name 
 managed, 
 ker, and 
 i which 
 s has to 
 i opened 
 
 she said. 
 
 ly. 'did 
 d Jane. 
 
 I 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH GIRL. 13 
 
 'It's me,' said Fred. 'I'm wrong. I have had a 
 quarrel with my twin; she spoke to me as she ought 
 not to speak to a gentleman, and I am going to see 
 Amy. Amy and I are one ago. I am going up 
 to her.' 
 
 'To be sure. You run along, dear,' said Jane, 
 who could not help sympathising with Fred, more 
 particularly when he raised eyes like sloes, and soft 
 as velvet, to her face. 
 
 'Do you know that Nina is coming back to- 
 day ? ' he said, much soothed by the maid-servant's 
 sympathy. 
 
 'That's your sister. Master Fred?' 
 
 'Yes, yes,' said Fred. 'She's a big girl. It 
 
 will be an awful trial to me, an: I to Ken, and 
 
 to Malcolm; but don't you ever let it out, Jane. 
 
 Keep it as secret as secret. Now I am going to 
 Amy.' 
 
 Jane told him to run along, and he scampered up 
 the stairs. Luckily for him Amy was up. She was 
 m the schoolroom preparing her last lessons of the 
 term. School was breaking up that day. 
 
 Rosaleen was a rather wild little girl. Amy was 
 the proper one of the fan.ily. Amy was always 
 smooth and neat and attentive. She had little 
 or no originality about her; but ,s1io got on quickly 
 with her books. Her teachers adored her. for 
 
14 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH GIRL. 
 
 she did thein such credit. She always gained prizes 
 or certificates of merit, or some marks of approval ; 
 and she was so neat and so methodical in all lier 
 ways that nurse, who had very little to do now for 
 any of the children, said that Amy was the comfort 
 of her life. 
 
 Well, Amy was in the schoolroom, taking a 
 last look over her carefully prepared lessons, when 
 Fred burst into the room. 
 
 'Here I am,' said Fred. 'What are you doing, 
 Amy?' 
 
 'Oh, preparing my lessons,' said Amy. She just 
 glanced at him, then lowered her eyes again to con 
 her long row of spelling. 
 
 'How do you spell "thermograph," Fred?' she 
 asked, raising her blue eyes for a moment to the 
 little boy's face. 
 
 'Oh, bother!' said Fred. 'I'm sure I wouldn't 
 have come to see jon if I tliought you were going 
 to ask me those sort of questions. I say, I 'm in a 
 mess. I'm quite worried. I'm in a sort of trouble. 
 Won't you listen, Amy?' 
 
 ' Yes, in a minute ; but I must just know exactly 
 how to spell "thermograph." Do you know what 
 it means, Fred ? ' 
 
 'That I don't,' said Fred; 'never heard the word 
 before. I don't think it is a proper English word. 
 
led prizes 
 approval ; 
 n all her 
 now for 
 3 comfort 
 
 fcakinof a 
 ns, when 
 
 a doinu, 
 
 She just 
 n to con 
 
 d ? ' she 
 
 : to the 
 
 W'ouhhi't 
 
 •e going 
 
 'ui in a 
 
 trouble. 
 
 exactly 
 vv what 
 
 le word 
 I word. 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OP THE IMPISH OIRL. 15 
 
 It's gibberish; that's what it is. Ha! ha! I've 
 caught you.' 
 
 'It's not gibberish; replied Amy, her eyes flashing. 
 'It's an instrument for automatically reconlin.. 
 variations of temperature. There now. Who '11 say 
 again that I don't know things? Thermograph, 
 indeed, a gibberish word ! ' 
 Fred stared solemnly at her. 
 
 'How long are you going on?' he said. 'If you 
 mean to say much more of that I'm ofl'.' 
 
 'No; I'll talk to you in a minute,' answered Amy 
 who secretly was much flattered by Fred's arrival 
 on the scene. She had a great admiration for Fred 
 and often said that he had 'beaux yeux.' Amy 
 was fond of airing her French. She glanced again 
 over her spelling, nodded her wise little head, shook 
 out her shining curls, and, closing the book, said : 
 
 •Well, if you're to give me a confidence, I'm 
 wilhng to listen.' 
 
 'Oh, do talk simple,' said Fred. <I hate those 
 long words. Can't you talk as if you were a child; 
 or were you born grown-up?' 
 
 'I 'spect 80,' said Amy. 'They all say I'm won- 
 derful for my age.' 
 
 'Thank goodness there are not many wonderful 
 people. I declare I almost think I'd rather be 
 snubbed by Peach.' 
 
16 
 
 THE AimiVAI. OF THE IMPISH GIKL. 
 
 'ft't What fe it, Fred? Why have you come 
 
 u.-st„,g into the house at thfa hour? Wh t s 
 
 the matter ? ' ^ ® 
 
 ■Wo have quarrelled,' aaid Fred. ■ Peaeh „„d I 
 ave had a quarrel. Peaeh spoke to „,e as „o boy 
 
 would submit to be snokpn ir. <) • • ^ 
 
 1 , spoKen to this morn n^, and T 
 
 and wo .„.ght have been twin, just as likely °as 
 ■We couldn't have been twins/ said Amy; -we 
 
 ;:::„ir ''- ^'"^ ^""^^ -^ ■»-- ^-^ -"^ 
 
 ca7'"' '!''^™PP™^ "« "'« t«n.< said Fred. He 
 ame up to Amy and looked with his sweet ey^^ 
 
 ;-Wj.e. She quite coloured, and, squee^in^l: 
 do?' *^ '' ''^ y^» ^'^nt me to 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
you come 
 What 's 
 
 ch and I 
 i-s no boy 
 ig, and I 
 iild come 
 ime aofe, 
 likely as 
 
 ly; 'we 
 >n'fc talk 
 
 ed. He 
 
 >et eyes 
 jing liis 
 
 you Ve 
 mt to 
 
 ;r and 
 Peach 
 
 rkling. 
 
 a bit 
 
 ). If 
 
 hat T 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH GIRL. 17 
 
 Wish. I'll have a lot to tcacli you. You must 
 
 learn how to spell therm' 
 
 'No, no/ replied Fred; 'that's not in the bar- 
 gain. I won't learn spelling; but I can do lots 
 of thmgs for you. I could buy you sweets on the 
 sly.' 
 
 'Oh, of course,' said Amy, considering. 'I did 
 not think that you conld be so useful; and you're 
 never afraid of nothinLC?' 
 
 ;lafrai.l?'saidFre.l. 'I'm a boy. Boys aren't 
 frightened of things. I'll do lots of thinc^s for 
 you, Amy. Let 's be twins— shall we ? ' 
 
 'Let's,' answered Amy. 
 
 ' Well, sit down and talk, and let 's bo comfy.' 
 
 They seated the.nselves on a cosy bench near the 
 open window. Fred heaved a great sigh. 
 
 'Look across at our house,' he said suddenly. 
 
 Amy looked. 
 
 'I don't see anything particular,' she replied. 
 •Look high up.' 
 
 'Oh, you've got that stupid flag on that queer 
 flagstaff: What for ? ' asked Amy. 
 
 'What for? It's on account of Nina; she's 
 coming back.' 
 
 ■As if I didn't Itnow that. But what i« the use 
 of putting that stupid flag up ? I do think you 
 
 tailmgfords are silly.' 
 
 Tlin Oilda and the Evens. r. 
 
18 
 
 THK ARRIVAL OF THE IMPISH GIRL. 
 
 ;No we are not. and you slmn't dare say if re- 
 phedFred. ' We're just as wise as you Freres; so 
 you had better liold your tongue.' 
 
 •Oh I didn't mean anything,' answe, od Amy. who 
 flKl not want to quarrel. 
 
 ■Lufa sit clo»o up together; she ™d ; ■if, rathe,- 
 "■CO hav,„g a twin. Rosaieen i. „o conifort to me- 
 »l.o » too wild, and she won't do ho>- lessons. She 
 « a care upon my mind You'll do your lesaons 
 very nicely m future-won't you, Fred? It's nice 
 getting pri.es, and having people say, " That's the 
 clever httlo Frere," as you walk down the street. 
 Wouldn t you like to be called the clever little 
 Oarhngford ? 
 
 'A3 to that,' replied Fred, 'I never could be 
 e ever, but I could do a lot for you. I could 
 fetch you tlungs, and get you no end of f„n I'll 
 got into scrapes; I'll be a sort of_a sort of— 
 
 •v^li b '"";' f' ^"^' "='^PP"^ ■•- hands; 
 you II be a sort of knight to me' 
 
 ;Ye.s ye,,; that's it. Like they have in the 
 
 fany tales. Well T mnof u • 
 
 or P 1 -n r ^^ ^"'"^ ^^^^ now, 
 
 or Peach will find out- h^i- t 
 
 p, , , , "'^' ^"*^ I '"t^an to tell her 
 
 atter breakfast. She anrl Pr.oni 
 
 . , ^'^^ ^^'^ Kosaleen can be twins if 
 
 they wish, and you and I will be twins; it will be 
 
 very confusing and very interesting.' 
 
 . 'Very confusing indeed; but I'll like it all the 
 
L. 
 
 say it,' re- 
 Freres; so 
 
 Amy, who 
 
 it's rather 
 5rfc to mo; 
 ons. SI 10 
 'Ur lessons 
 It's nice 
 hat's the 
 he street, 
 ver little 
 
 could be 
 
 I could 
 
 tun. I 'II 
 
 )f' 
 
 hands ; 
 
 THE ARRIVAL OP THE IMPISH GIRL. 19 
 
 same,' said Amy. < When did you say Nina was 
 coming back ? ' 
 
 'Oh, some time this evening. There'll be no end 
 of a fusH. You can fancy the state Kenneth and 
 Malcohn and I will be in. Don't you think .WU 
 are awful rot, Amy ? ' 
 
 •Do I tliink girls are awful rot? Co away, Frod 
 go away; you're too rude for anything. Why, I'm' 
 a girl myself.' 
 
 'Oh, 1 don't mean you,' said Fred, who began to 
 fear he wa^ putting his foot in it all round- 'and 
 there's nothing I wouldn't do for you ; but other 
 girls I mean, same as Rosaleen and Nina an.l Peach 
 All the girls I know except you are awful rot, and 
 you're just an angel.' 
 
 'Well, I don't mind that way of putting if 
 said Amy. 'Only go now, Fred, or Peach will 
 find out, and she will be angry.' 
 
 in the 
 :k now, 
 tell her 
 bwins if 
 
 will be 
 
 all the 
 
20 
 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE CABLIUaFOKDS AT HOME. 
 
 pATE that evening Fi™ arrived. She 
 drove up i„ a cab all alone from the 
 station, spoke to the man about her 
 loggage, paid him, and came into the 
 house m her usual independent, ott'-hand style 
 No .0 y had ever subdued Nina since her birth •' 
 and she looked more independent than ever now ' 
 Peach wa. watching her from over the banister. 
 an.irre,l_ whose heart was beating wildly with 
 oxctement, for in reality he had always adored 
 Nma. and wa. very sorry now for his terrible fit 
 of temp , the morning-was stopping up his ears 
 m h,s bedroom. He must yield ; ho knew it He 
 ...a't rush to Nina, and allow her to hug him. and 
 hug her ba.k, and kiss her all over her warm faee. 
 and feel m his heart of hearts that there was no 
 one like her in the world 
 
 !j ! 
 
•rived. She 
 le from the 
 
 about her 
 ne into the 
 hand style. 
 
 her birth; 
 k^er now. 
 e banisters, 
 vM]y with 
 lys adored 
 teri-ible fit 
 ip his ears 
 5W it. He 
 : him, and 
 varm face, 
 fe was no 
 
 t 
 
 THE CAUMNOFORDS AT HOME. 21 
 
 But n^earwhile Peach, with a little yell of ecstasy 
 had rushed downstairs. Nina had said. ' Ilow do 
 you do. Peach r and then, lettin, go her ba^. 
 had clasped the child in her anns. and had said 
 'Oh, you little darling! And where is Fred? 
 and where are the boys ? Where is Ken ? I want 
 to see Ken this minute. Is Malcolm as obstreperous 
 as ever? And oh! where 's the mother-where 's 
 the mother?' 
 
 So all the family a moment later, includinc. Fred 
 assembled in the hall; and no one, to look^at the' 
 Carhngfords then, could ever think tliat the boys 
 had been rude enough to say it was a bother that 
 ama, liad come back. 
 
 Nina was talking just as fast as ever she could 
 and there wa« a high colour in her cheeks, and her 
 eyes were sparkling. She was very nmch excited 
 and very happy; and now and then she would stop' 
 m a whole volley oi words to rush up to her mother 
 and k,.ss her tempestuously over again, or to clasp 
 her arms round Kens neck, or to fly at Peach and 
 almost strangle her in a fresh embrace; and Fred 
 wl.0 kept a little in the background, and thought 
 of Amy and his conversation with her that n.orni"„g, 
 elt hat he could hold out no longer, and, flying to 
 his sister, said : ^ S " 
 
 N 
 
 ina, have you forgotten 
 
 me? I'm Fred. I 
 
 m 
 
22 
 
 'I UK CAIILINOFOIIDS AT HOME. 
 
 the other twin, you know. Huvo you for^rotton 
 me?' 
 
 •You ckilitigl you tivuMure! you swot-t!' Hai.l 
 Nina; 'forcrotton you? Never-never!' And then 
 8ho ahsolutely lifted Fred off the K'-ound-for he 
 was rather Nuall for his a^^'(^ and she was tall and 
 big and bonny -and hugged him to Iuh heart's 
 content. 
 
 A very happy family party certaiidy assembled 
 in that wide hall in the Carlingfords' house; and 
 presently Nina, with Kenneth, Malcolm, Peach, and 
 Fred accompanying her, went up in a sort of royal 
 procession to her bedroom. 
 
 'Are you tired, Nina darling ?' said Peach. 'Were 
 you very sici: when you were crossing the Channel, 
 and are you very, very happy to come home ? ' 
 
 •You haven't asked yet about the rabbits and the 
 guinea-pigs,' said Fred. 
 
 'Oil ! and, Nina, I say, old girl,' exclaimed Kenneth, 
 'I was made a prefect this term. It's an awful re- 
 sponsibility. No end of the fellows look up to me ; 
 but I have a right good time. It 's awfully jolly 
 being prefect.' 
 
 'And I liad a move,' said Malcolm; 'and I think 
 it likely I'll got that scholarship if I work hard 
 enough. It is jolly at school, Nina. I had a fight 
 last week with a fellow, and' 
 
vcct!' said 
 And then 
 nd — for he 
 a,s tall and 
 liiH heart's 
 
 assembled 
 lousc; and 
 Peach, and 
 t of royal 
 
 'h. ' Were 
 3 Channel, 
 me?' 
 is and tho 
 
 Kenneth, 
 awful re- 
 ip to me; 
 iilly jolly 
 
 I I think 
 ork hard 
 d a fight 
 
 THE CARLINQFORDS AT HOME. 28 
 
 'Oh, don't go on!' exclaimed Peach. 'Nina does 
 
 not want to hear about your stupid old fighta' 
 I 'Shut up yourself,' cried Malcohn. 'You're just 
 
 as had as all other girls. You have no go in you. 
 
 Girls are a poor lot— that they are.' 
 4 'A poor lot, indeed!' exclaimed Nina. 'You had 
 
 bettor say that again when I am in the house. 
 
 Now then, out you all go— all of you except Peach. 
 
 I don't want boys in my bedroom. Be off with 
 
 you now. I'm going to shut the door.' 
 • Accordingly the three boys were left on the 
 
 landing, where they laughed and shouted and called 
 
 to Nina to be quick and come out again. 
 'After all, it is jolly to have her at Lome,' 
 
 said Kenneth. 'She's an awfully spiffin' sort of 
 girl.' 
 
 'I'm as proud as punch of her,' said Fred; and 
 he thought again with fresh compunction of his 
 conduct with Amy in the morning. 
 
 Meanwhile Nina was standing by the window and 
 chatting to Peach. 
 
 ' How are all the Freres ? ' she asked. ' Are the 
 Evens all right?' 
 
 'Oh yes; we have great fun with them, although 
 sometimes we quarrel. Amy was very unpleasant 
 to-day. Do you know what she did ? ' 
 
 'Amy, the little one? I don't know anything 
 
24 
 
 THE CAHLINGFORDS AT HOME. 
 
 about her. How are Prue and Patty and little 
 Rosaleen ? I always rather took to Rosaleen.' 
 
 'But Rose has got so awfully wild, do you know 
 ^ma; she ran away last week; she ran out of the' 
 liouse after breakfast, and never came back until 
 quite late. She said she wanted to be a gipsy • and 
 they were looking all over Wan-encliffe for' her 
 Wasn't it awful of her?' 
 Nina's gray eyes became full of laughter. 
 'Little darling!' she said. 'I always did like the 
 Dark Rosaleen. It is nice to be back again ; and 
 I am so glad to see you. Peach. You 're very small 
 for your age; and you're not nearly so pretty as 
 Fred.' "^ 
 
 'Oh, I can't help my looks,' said Peach, an annoyed 
 
 flush creeping over her little sallow face. 'I didn't 
 
 make myself. I think it is rather unkind of 
 you.' 
 
 'Unkind?' cried Nina. 'But I am always frank 
 You are not a beauty, and you had better know it 
 at once. You'll have to go in for something else 
 you know.' ' 
 
 'What do you mean?' 
 
 'Oh, you '11 have to pooe as the clever one, or the 
 brusque one, or the independent one. You cannot 
 pose as the pretty one; that is quite impossible. 
 Why, come to the glass and look at yourself Here 
 
I 
 
 THE CARLINGFORDS AT HOME. 
 
 25 
 
 we'll put our two faces together; let us look 
 
 > 
 
 now 
 
 Peach felt herself trembling. No one in all the 
 family adored Nina as she adored her. She had 
 dreamt of her at night, and had thought of her 
 by day, her only sister, her grown-up sister; Nina, 
 whom she had not seen for two years; Nina! 
 whom she meant to copy; Nina, who was to her 
 glorious as a young rising sun. She had always 
 obeyed Nina from the time she was an infant, and 
 she stood now gazing at her little reflection in the 
 mirror. She saw a face, very thin, with pale cheeks; 
 the eyes big and nondescript in colour, the mouth 
 wide, tlie nose the reverse of classical ; thick, very 
 dark hair tumbled back from the low forehead, and 
 the gray eyes had a pleading and pathetic look in 
 them. They gazed now full at the radiant vision 
 of Nina, who had pressed her face close to that of 
 Httle Peach. 
 
 Nina was very big for her age— the sort of girl 
 whom people designate as beautiful. She had a 
 radiant colour in her cheeks, and a dewy look in 
 her big blue eyes; her hps were coral-red, her 
 little nose was straight, and her hair of a golden 
 brown, and very full of curls and fluffy tendrils; 
 no scissors had ever cut it; the fringe which 
 tumbled over her forehead was of Nature's own 
 
 III 
 
 Si 
 
 m 
 
Il i 
 
 THE CARLINGFOKDS AT HOME. 
 
 making. She w., a cha™ing.lo„ki„g gi,, ^nd 
 She wa. b,g and well-rounded, and much developed 
 
 .^^•_Wen.we„,.l.e3aid,.„hoi3^p„.,asbea„t,- 
 
 -Yoa-you, Nina da.ling. Oh, I love you so- 
 you re so perfectly lovely ! • said Peach ' 
 
 ■And you are just the best little brick i„ «:■ the 
 world; answered Nina; .and who knows but you 
 
 »y grow up a beauty? But never n,ind; at tl 
 pre,sent moment pose as ' 
 
 ; What r said Peach, nestling up clo.se to her. 
 My little shadow, for one thing You'll A. ■ , 
 what I tell you ? ■ *' '^'' J"'^' 
 
 don t mmd a b.t being plain. 1 rather like bein^ 
 Pla.n because it shows you off, you know.' ' 
 
 ^OK you little sweet, you little dear,- cried 
 
 'And what am I to do for you? ■ 
 ■Just what I tell you. You will-won't you . ' 
 Of course; of course. Nina, I would like to tell 
 yon something about Fred.' 
 
 ■What! Fred; that little beauty » He is r,r.H 
 if you like. Peach.- P''''^' 
 
 f 
 
 J 
 
 I 
 
THE CAULINGFORDS AT HOME. 
 
 27 
 
 The colour now flew into Peach's cheeks, and a 
 sense of desolation visited lier heart. 
 
 ' Oh ! you don't know liiin,' she said. ' This morning 
 ho said that girls were bothers; and he was sorry 
 that I put up the white flag of victory because you 
 were coining back; he was really, truly, and' 
 
 'Oh ! don't say any more,' said Nina; 'you mustn't 
 be a tell-tale-tit; that will never do.' 
 
 Peach coloured more than ever. 
 
 'And are you just as wild as you used to be, 
 Xina ? ' 
 
 'Just as wild as ever? Rather!' answered Nina. 
 ' I mean to kick up no end of a shindy here. You '11 
 .see what gcay holidays we '11 have. But come ; I must 
 vaish my face and hands and brush out my hair, 
 and then wo must go down to supper. I suppose 
 there is something for me to eat. I 'm pretty peckish, 
 I can tell vou.' 
 
 ' Then you didn't learn grand, grand ways at that 
 school ? ' 
 
 ' Grand ways ? Rather not ; but I can talk FrencJi 
 like a native, and I can play— oh ! you '11 dance when 
 I play. And I can sing— not much yet, for my 
 master says I must not try my voice; but I can 
 load off; and we'll have a heap of choruses; and 
 mother will sing the solos. Oh, we'll have a gay 
 time ! ' 
 
23 
 
 THE CARlmoFOEDS AT HOME. 
 
 'And wl,at about your d,,„vi„g.,r ,,k,„ p,^, 
 i can draw too. Oh ' f !.,•« f , , 
 
 No. o£ eo„.e ,o„ were J .ot' tI T"" "'"^ ^ 
 
 my parasol in her f«.n ^ , ^ ^P'^"^^ 
 
 to have another try at mo J ^.i ".^ "^ 
 
 ;^.3.eee.;a„a„L^::vj::rrr; 
 
 J«u, and I mean to ^et the „;„* 
 
 one, little Peach r,J '^ °'"' ^^'^ 
 
 «>o way Now „ ^°""°" '° '° "»'°™- "» 
 
 surely tliere never was «ii,.I, „ » • 
 «s Nina; thought Peach a. t """""" S'^' 
 
 found then,selves in th '' '™ """^'^'--^ -" 
 
 «-e, waiting! L; Tr'T I"""""-"'"" ^ ""'^ 
 
 e--ent, their eyr:;^::;!^^^^^^ 
 g"-Js. Prue and Patty. ^""'^ ^""^"^ 
 
 'There you are, Nina,' said Patty. 'Oh - it is n" 
 to see you again.' ^ '^ "'^« 
 
 ' Yes, I 'm back,' said Nina ' w^ 
 Don't strangle ne Yorh ''^ "" y""' ^^^ ^ 
 '^■< I expected T , ™ ' ^rown a. „uch 
 
 way ? H. 
 
 ovv are 
 
 you, 
 
THE CARLINOFORDS AT HOME. 
 
 29 
 
 Pruo? Are you going to be a new woman or one 
 of the old domestic sort ? ' 
 
 'Oh! I am sure I never thought/ answered Prue. 
 'What queer questions you ask, Nina!' 
 
 'Yes, I v/as always queer,' replied Nina carelessly. 
 'Mother darling, I am so hungry. May I sit close 
 to you, and will you pour out my tea first? For- 
 give me if I am rude, Prue and Patty; but I am 
 only just home, you know.' 
 
 'It is nice to see you again,' said Patty. 'What 
 a great big girl you are ! ' 
 'Yes; and so fat,' said Prue. 
 'Personal remarks are rude,' replied Nina. 'Now 
 then, I am quite ready to begin.' 
 
 The meal proceeded ; the boys joined. The mother 
 laughed happily; she listened to Nina, who led the 
 conversation. Soon all the other young folks were 
 silent, looking at Nina. 8he told capital stories ; she 
 clapped her hands; she led the chorus of applause. 
 Tlie meal was only half over when she suddenly 
 sprang to her feet. 
 
 'Oh! I can't sit still; it's exciting being home 
 again. Come all of you into the drawing room, and 
 let's have a right good song. I want to sing a lot 
 of the " Geisha " songs, and the " Runaway Girl," and 
 others. Now then, mother dear, I'll play; will you 
 sing, and we '11 all join in the chorus ? ' 
 
I If 
 
 30 THE CABLINCFORDS AT HOME. 
 
 Nina rushed to the piano. fl„„g it open, and began 
 to rattle off a hnliiant aecon,,,ani,„e„t, Her ,L 
 flnge.. were slim and sn,all; I,e,. hands were white 
 as .now. Patty looked at J>or. her brown eyes 
 grownig big with admiration. 
 
 Peach folt that I>er sister was getting more and 
 more fascinating each moment. 
 
 •Wlien are Rosaleen and Amy coming in?' wliis- 
 pered Peach to Patty. 
 
 Patty gave her a warning glance. 
 'Rosaleen and Amy are both in punislnnent; they 
 have been sent to bed early,' she whispered. -I 
 wll tell yon why afterwards. It i., part,,, <,„ 
 account of your Fred. Your Fred has been avvfully 
 naughty.' ''^ 
 
 ■My Frod naughty ! Yon shan't scol.l n,y twin,' 
 said PeacJi. 
 
 'He is not your twin any u.ore; he's Ann's 
 twin. ' "^ 
 
 '■ What ridiculous nonsense you talk ! ' cried Peach 
 staramoring with indignation. 
 
 'Come, x^ome, girls; no quarrelling on the ni<dit 
 I come back/ called out Nina over her shouWer. 
 JNow Chen, mother, come here. We'll have " Oh i 
 listen to the Band."' 
 
 She played tl,e fl.«t chords of the pretty m„sic, 
 the chddren Joined in, and ve>y n.erry were the 
 
THE CAIIMNGFORDS AT HOME. 
 
 31 
 
 I, and began 
 
 Her little 
 
 were white 
 
 )ro\vn eyes 
 
 more and 
 
 in?' whis- 
 
 iient; they 
 pered. ' I 
 partly on 
 n awfully 
 
 Miy twin,' 
 
 ■ '« Amy's 
 
 ed Peach, 
 
 he nio-ht 
 shoulder, 
 ve "Oh. I 
 
 y music, 
 v'ere tJie 
 
 sounds; and people who passed the windows stood 
 still to listen. 
 
 ' What is that noise ? ' said one to another. 
 
 'Only the Freres and Carlingfords going on as 
 usual,' said one boy to his companion. 'They are a 
 jolly lot. I wonder why they're such splendid 
 friends ? ' 
 
 In the midst of all the fuss and merriment, Fred 
 crept unobserved out of the drawing-room. He had 
 overheard Patty's words to Peach, and was much 
 concerned about Amy. Fred was a very loyal little 
 boy at heart, although he had been tempted to 
 forsake his sister Peach in the morning; but having 
 made a compact with Amy, he did not think it right 
 to desert her. Why had she got into trouble ? What 
 was the matter ? ' 
 
 Slipping his hat on his head, ho went to the 
 hall door, opened it gingerly, and stepped out. It 
 was night already in the square ; no one observed 
 him as he flew across to the Freres' house. There 
 was not the least bit of use going in by the 
 front door ; he would be seen. If Amy were in 
 punishment he would not be allowed to have any- 
 thing to do with her; but he knew another entrance. 
 He had tried it before ; so had Peach ; so also had 
 Dark Rosaleen w'hen she had gone out on nauirhti- 
 ness intent. 
 
32 
 
 THE CAKLINOPOUDS AT HOME. 
 
 If 
 
 u™a„,,„.Jl ;'-;;/;;'- T„i,c„o... 
 
 children', garden Th„ ™ "« '^e 
 
 the schoolroom thaf « . ^^'^""' ^«« 
 
 "Will, that apartment which u-ao 
 ^nown as 'the den' T^ . generally 
 
 notlun. better tl„.„ ,i„o,,„„ . „/ "'« "^ *<« 
 -PS and .o.kea3c. a„,, caHelt::;'!;* "^^^ 
 ■■nagmaUe corner were basket, and T' f ''"^ 
 for the Frere children had '^" '"'■ ""■■""""• 
 
 »<--etin,e.,.herr;:~;Ha'^i-ion, 
 
 consequence. Of course f ), n T ""^ '^^^<^ '» 
 
 Fred n„ • " ""^ '■"'■■>' «'«>'bby room 
 
 -1 now s,ncoreIy bopod that he mi.ht 7 . 
 "- house by one of it, window. H ° • ?.' " 
 on the window-sill, Y„, i,^J , "" "^""^ "P 
 
 -■"Jew was „„ha.ped T "" '™' *''« 
 
 •'■PM. He managed t» lift th^ 
 
THE CARLINQFORDS AT HOME. 88 
 
 heavy sash sufficiently high to creep in, and the 
 next moment he was hunying upstairs as fast as 
 his small feet could carry him. What were the 
 words Patty had said ? Rosaleen and Amy were in 
 bed! He knew where they slept. They slept in the 
 little room just below the attics ; a. small room with 
 two little beds in it. and very scanty furniture, 
 and a view right over the town to the distant hills' 
 beyond. 
 
 Fred softly unfastened the door and looked in. 
 Were they asleep ? Had they sobbed themselves to 
 sleep ? When all was so exciting and happy in his 
 home, were Rosaleen and Amy in the Land of 
 Naughty Dreams ? It was dreadful-dreadful to be 
 in the Land of Naughty Dreams! He had sometimes 
 been in that dismal country, and oh ! what he had 
 suffered ! Naughty dreams came, as a rule, after you 
 had been naughty; they came as retribution will 
 come sure and certain. Wild beasts came, grim 
 furies, all sorts of horrors; and the children could 
 not run away from the horrors, and the horrors 
 came closer and closer. Oh, it was fearful-fearful 
 
 to be in the dismal Country of Naughty Dreams ! 
 'I say, Amy,' whispered Fred above his breath. 
 
 He stepped in and peered round. There was no 
 
 answer. He looked at the two little beda They 
 
 were empty. 
 
 The Odds and the Evens. n 
 
84 
 
 I !' 
 
 iJf :!J 
 
 CHAPTER iJi 
 THE mvann liitm sisters. 
 |RED backed quietly out of the room 
 I e -ed the door .softly behind hi», and' 
 00 on the Mnding in al.„..to a„a J 
 ment and fear. For nnJf 
 did not know what to do Not • "T ""' 
 
 P-ainer than Patty. .o*..t!:th'r 2, tV° 
 "nd An,y. .ere in punishment Cy had " 
 sent to bed c?^ i?„ "*" ^^« been 
 
 ^eej:^t obiTr?"'^-— - 
 
 Ko.,Ieen and Amy .ere^r SrwrT 
 were they? Had they gone to bid f ' 
 
 «™»-ndgot up a^LVw^at :;""'""" 
 punishment which h„d K ""'' °' 
 
 wn,ch had been meted out to them? 
 He scarcely thought that iikejv f„,. n T 
 although the kindest n,an in t fwll he Td 
 a.ways doctored Fred when he was Tto'l^:^ 
 
THE NAUdllTY MTTI.E SISTERS. 35 
 
 Fred oiiolit to know - was also stern wlien hi.s 
 anger was really aroused ; and if the eliildren did 
 something to annoy him he generally insisted on a 
 severe punislnnent bein^i; n.eted out; and nothing 
 would induce Mrs Fivre. kind and sweet and 
 motherly as she was. to go against her hushand's 
 wishes in the matter. Therefore Fred was forced to 
 draw the conclusion that the girls were in the act 
 of some further naughtiness. 
 
 Now, of course, had Fred himself been a perfect 
 boy, he would have gone straight home again an.l 
 clung more affectionately than ever to his compara- 
 tively good little sister; but, sad as it is to relate, 
 Fred was by no means a perfect boy, and his heart 
 beat now with intense excitement, and he quickly 
 made up his mind to discover for himself what the 
 two little sisters were about. 
 
 Accordingly he slipped downstairs. He had been 
 lucky coming up, and he was lucky again going 
 <1own. No one saw him; no one was nbout. The 
 two elder girls being at the Carlingfords', and the 
 two younger being supposed to be fast asleep in 
 their small beds, Mrs Frere had gone out for the 
 evening with her husband, and the servants were 
 far away in the kitchen, glad to have a quiet time 
 all to themselves. 
 Fred entered ' the den.' The white kittens ' meawed ' 
 
86 
 
 THE NAUUIIfV l,rm.K s,sTI!H.s. 
 
 2 he crassed the fl„o..; the bird, stirred uneasily on 
 tl>e.r perches. Fred again opened the windo" „nd 
 Stepped into the rrardon w i , ^'"^^^ and 
 
 down after hi. 'hi l,tt """"^ '°'"^ 
 
 '■m , ho must leavo no trace of Ids exit 
 
 n case any one wanted to follow hi,„. The „2' 
 had now come up_not a full moon but a half 
 
 : :ufter!;'r. T '-- '"- "- ^- "- 
 
 iines of bngl)tness along the L'ardon-tho 
 
 thatstripofloonirhttiTr^ ""'"""''"'' 
 foH his heart beating loud '.ri: '"r'"'''- «<> 
 on an adventure H„ T ' **' *^°'"« 
 
 r ^^ -- - " ;: -pi::;?- ^t 
 
 »i-rs V a^';,: '-.r '" "■" "° "-^''y «"'« 
 
 Of course they w... i„ t,,, , 
 
 wn on to the n^rass, and danced there unfil 
 «''e was fit to droD wJfh • *^" 
 
 back by the same '"' ""^ ^^^" ^'^^^ 
 
 •jy me same route to her bed i v„ i ■ , 
 
 done this in ,nite „f „ ' ""' *° had 
 
 Amy's proper IT . "^^ ™™'"S» ""^ 
 
 dare' corn's oir; 1,^4 ;"r '^'''™"'^ 
 
 tne Dark Rosaleer, and the Dark 
 
uneasily on 
 'indow and 
 idow softly 
 >i liis exit, 
 The moon 
 ' half one; 
 oy to see 
 n'den— the 
 les on the 
 followed 
 ated. Ho 
 vaa going 
 ist doubt 
 'his; but 
 ould not 
 ity little 
 
 ey Were 
 • Rosa- 
 she not 
 ear-tree, 
 re until 
 m stole 
 'he had 
 ?s and 
 would 
 i Dark 
 
 THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTERS. 
 
 87 
 
 Rosaleen had a will nearly as strong as Nina's 
 own. 
 
 Fred was puzzled about Amy; it was his duty to 
 go and see his twia Suppose she was in danger; 
 he. being her true knight— surely he ought to go 
 to her rescue. 
 
 In vain, however, ho scnrched tlio entire garden. 
 Ho peeped into the arbour, trembling as he did so. 
 He even said in a low whisper, ' Amy— Rose— it s 
 me; it's Fred;' but there was no answer. He was 
 just bef^inning to tire of his search, when he suddenly 
 saw standing out clearly in the moonlight a little 
 strip of a white dress me little strip of white 
 was clinging on to one of the gooseberry-bushes, 
 and this gooseberry-bnah was at the extreme end of 
 the garden, just ^^ here there was a stile leading 
 into a field. Without the slightest hesitation, Fred, 
 feeling much inclined to yell in his ecstasy, climbed 
 the stile and entered the field. There was no 
 further trace of the truants, but he ran down tlie 
 path with confidence. At the bottom was a copse, 
 and judt at the entrance to the copse was a sort 
 of little arbour which the Frere children had made 
 for themselves a long, long time ago, and had 
 deserted. 
 
 As Fred approached, now he distinctly heard fho 
 rustle of a dress, then the whispered sound of a. 
 
38 
 
 THE NAUGHTV LITTLE SISTERS. 
 
 '44 
 
 1 1 
 
 vo,ce, and gomg a .top hnk„ ho saw a ii.ht Yes . 
 there was a light .,,„„., j,„„, ^^ = '■ ^ea 
 
 copse, and the light soemod to co„,e di,.ee?f.o 1 
 •■ustic arbour ,nado by the child en T 
 FrPfl'Q <?«^j. 1 ^JiiJuien. liie moment 
 
 ■rreas tootsteps were hon^-.i lu ,• , 
 
 ouished h„f I , ' ^'^^'^ ^^« extin- 
 
 guished, but he knew that Kosalcen and A. 
 
 close at hand. He .an ,niekly ^ '"^ "" 
 
 'I know you're both there. I can'f f] • i , 
 you.edoing,M.„eriedout;.b„:;:U"^^^ 
 go.ng to split on you, so light up.' ""' 
 
 ;Wby, surely this is Fred Carli„gford»- 
 ires. It's me. I came to look for you Oh i 1,VI,. 
 
 up. and do tell me what you are do,„; """ 
 
 R.a.::, "" " "*"■ ^'"^- »" "^ .uicV said 
 
 aiar;!:;:? ■ f: r "^ ^-^^^ -^ - 
 
 . , ""^^ Fred now saw what the litfl. 
 
 girls were about. They were ovU „ ""' ''"'^ 
 
 "ght good ti,„e. There was t ! ? 'f ""^ " 
 a white newspaper was spread. ,^ h ' " "'"' 
 were some dolls' nlate, T" " newspaper 
 
 foH<s;andt;:Lr::r:T''°r'"'™^™^ 
 
 -eral pieces; and therecTet::;:??"'''"'" 
 both of them full of . "" "'"^' 
 
 wMch shone red in t,:! h' htT^rttl "1'"^ 
 
 ° ^r jk- match; and in 
 
 iL.»»__ 
 
J^'^^i't. Yes; 
 rees in the 
 2t from the 
 lie moment 
 was extin- 
 Airjy were 
 
 hink what 
 ic I'm not 
 
 and then 
 
 Oh ! light 
 
 ick/ said 
 
 fc of her 
 the httle 
 laving a 
 n which 
 iwspaper 
 ves and 
 
 up into 
 1 mugs, 
 mixture 
 
 and in 
 
 THE NAUGHTY LirTLE SISTERS. 39 
 
 the centre of the table was a very, very small 
 paraffin lamp. 
 
 Rosaleen's dark eyes, big and black a^ Fred's own, 
 now glanced full up at him. 
 
 'We were having supper,' she said. 'Do you want 
 to join us ? ' 
 
 'Oh, may I?' answered Fred. 'How perfectly 
 'licious ! ' 
 
 'I don't like it at all,' said Amy. 'I feel down- 
 right wicked. But there! Rosaleen drags me what- 
 ever way she pleases.' 
 
 'Shut up! shut up!' said Rosaleen. 'Come along, 
 Fred. We brought the paraffin lamp 'cos we knew 
 that candles might blow out if there was any 
 draught. Now then, you hold the chimney. It's 
 rather hot; don't drop it. We turned it out when 
 you came prying; but, as you have pried, you must 
 stay. There 's not much for supper, b'H what there 
 is is great fun.' 
 
 As to Fred, his heart was beating wildly in his 
 excitement. To comfort Amy, to bend over her 
 pillow, to kiss her as she lay in her little punish- 
 ment bed, had been captivating enough in pro- 
 spective ; but what was it to the joy of entering 
 the arbour and partaking of the stolen supper with 
 both little naughty sisters! 
 
 Accordingly he valiantly hold the hot chimney, 
 
 :1k 
 
i' 
 
 '4 
 
 *> THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SLSTEBS. 
 
 although ho had to control hi, feelings in doing so. 
 The paraffin lamp waa lit once more, and he was 
 able to see the flushed and terrified face of Amy 
 and the glowing, triumphant, victorious one of 
 KosaJeen. 
 
 Of all the children in both houses there were 
 none to compare with Eosaleen for beauty Her 
 eyes had such a gleam in them, such a look of 
 mtense fun; her lips had such full curves, and were 
 of such a glowing crimson; her complexion was so 
 rich and her colour so vivid; and her quantities of 
 jet-blaek hair curled and fuzzed all over her head 
 She was a ra-liant-looking child, with those black 
 eyes and those pearly-white teeth, and those glow- 
 .ng hpsand cheeks; and she had never looked more 
 radiant than now, n.ore perfectly beautiful 
 
 Isn't';?"'.' t ""•'" ^°" "^ ^'""S '"J"'" >-• 
 fent ,t fun to have Amy here? She won't bother 
 
 me^w.th spelling for a good long bit after this 
 
 ^•^■t^how did you go and get naughty, Amyr 
 
 'Don't bother about that now,' said Rose over 
 
 her shoulder. -She's naughty, and that's the main 
 
 thing. It was my doing, of course. I always do 
 
 get Amy to do ,iu.«t what 1 wish. Has your Nina 
 
 come back ? ' 
 
THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTEIIS. 
 
 41 
 
 I doing so. 
 ^d he was 
 3 of Amy 
 3 one of 
 
 ^ere were 
 itj. Her 
 i look of 
 and were 
 n was so 
 ntities of 
 ler head, 
 se black 
 se glow- 
 ed more 
 
 join us. 
 ''■> bother 
 fcer this 
 
 Amy ? ' 
 
 e over 
 e main 
 
 ays do 
 r Nina 
 
 ' Yes ; and she is so jolly,' said Fred. ' Such a pity 
 you were both naughty; you would have been over 
 with the rest of us. We were singing "Oh, listen 
 to the Band."' 
 
 'I don't care nothing for songs,' said Rosaleen. 
 ' What could be more glorious fun than this ? Have 
 an inch of cake, Fred?' She cut an inch carefully 
 from the small piece in the centre of the table, and 
 handed it to F ' ' on the top of a spoon. 
 
 'There,' sh . ^ I, 'the spoon is tin, but it's clean, 
 and the little mugs are clean too. Would you like 
 some of our raspberry-vinegar lemonade? It's a 
 mixture we have made ourselves. I made it; it's 
 not bad. Shall I tell you what it is made of?' 
 
 'Oh, I don't mind,' said Fred. 'It looks very 
 good.' 
 
 'It's sweeties melted down,' cried Rose. 'We 
 melted them on a little bit of fire before we came 
 out, and then we mixed them ever so quickly with 
 warm water, and they arc really quite 'licious. Would 
 you like to try it? Don't take too big a sip; 
 there's not more than enough for Amy and me, but 
 you can have a sip too. You don't mind, Amy, do 
 you?' 
 
 'No, I don't mind,' said Amy. 'We'll get into 
 frightful trouble for this. I shall never be the 
 same child again — never.' 
 
 'I i 
 
 . 1 
 
: 
 
 42 
 
 THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTEBS. 
 
 'Bu.^you'Il be a much, much nicer child/ said 
 Dark Rosaleen. 'You'll be worth something now- 
 won't she, Fred ? ' 
 
 'Yes,' said Fred. 'But do tell me how you got 
 here, and why you came.' 
 
 'Why we came!' cried Rosaleen. 'We came 'cos 
 we couldn't possibly stay in bed. We went to bed 
 but we d.dn't undress. Amy wanted to, but I 
 pulled her hair so hard she had to stop. 1 told her 
 I knew perfectly well none of the servants would 
 bother us. I heard one of them come creeping up- 
 stairs, but she went down again; and I heard her 
 saying she wasn't going to worrit herself about us 
 So I made Amy come into the schoolroom, and we 
 melted the sweeties and mixed the bottleful of 
 raspberry-vinegar lemonade, and we kept the cakes 
 we had at supper-it was dreadful having no more • 
 and then we came here. We have been here foJ 
 over an hour, and it's 'licious— isn't it?' 
 'Well, I don't know,' answered Fred. 'I suppose 
 
 'We had better go back now,' said Amy. 'Mother 
 may come home any moment, and she may come 
 up to see us.' 
 
 'She don't come up to see us scarcely ever,' said 
 Rose. 'I say, Fred, are you really going to be on 
 our side?' 
 
THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTERS. 
 
 43 
 
 'What do you mean?' asked Fred. 
 
 'Take another inch of cake and another sip of 
 raspberry- vinegar lemonade.' 
 
 Fred ate his inch of cake with deliberation and 
 sipped his lemonade solemnly. 
 
 ' Don't take too bio' a ^^nlp/ said Rose. ' Now then, 
 listen.' 
 
 Fred returned the tin mug to Rose. 
 
 'Aren't you awfully happy, Fred?' 
 
 'Yes/ said Fred, 'awfully.' 
 
 'And you're not a bit afraid of being found 
 
 out?' 
 
 Fred looked full into Rosaleen's glorious dark eyes, 
 and said he was not afraid. 
 
 'But I am,' said poor Amy. 'I think it is awful. 
 I wish — I do wish I had never come.' 
 
 'What a kill-joy spoil-sport you arc!' said Rosa- 
 leen, looking with contempt at her younger sister. 
 'Well, anyhow, Fred is enjoying himself — aren't 
 you, Fred ? ' 
 
 'Yes,' said Fred. 
 
 'Are you going to join on to us — to belong to 
 
 us?' 
 
 'Oh, I don't know,' answered Fred. 
 
 'But you said you would join us this morning,' 
 cried Amy, looking at him with some reproach. 
 
 'Well, of course,' replied Fred; 'and that's why 
 
 
 *»i 
 
i^ 
 
 44 
 
 THE N..UOHTY LITTLE SISTERS. 
 
 I have come over T wHi ^ r 
 kiss N,nn 1 , ''''"^''' something. I did 
 
 f ^'"^ ^^^^" «J^^ came back to-ni.hf Id,- A 
 ^er ever so hard- .nd Pp«.i, "^ ^"^ 
 
 me again.' '"'"^ '^^'"^^ ^"^^« Moving to 
 
 , f ' ^ '^" ^" y°»r special friend.' 
 
 And so can I,' said Rose 'Tf'= +• 
 
 no boys about. I think w "'''"^' ^^'^^'"^ 
 
 ehummy. If ., l^J^^;; ^^^^^^ - well be 
 
 means, Fred?' ^' ^^" ^"°^ ^^^^ it 
 
 'No, I don't,' said Fred 
 
 ceremony.' ''^ *" 8° ">roBgh the 
 
 'What ceremony?' 
 ■Jou l,„ve to wait ™ta the fairies come.' 
 
 Oh, I don t want to see faides/ said Fred 
 Eosaleen gave a wild langh. 
 
 'You're nothino- of » »,„ ,. . 
 haven't got anv LI ^ »'» cried; .y„n 
 
 goin^ to ^7 7 '^ ""''"' "P''"'^i"S "!■ We're 
 going to stay here until twelve o'elock th.„ , 
 
 - hear the tinkle of the little hel fe al tt 'f '• " 
 ™d the brownies come out w. ' ™' 
 
 meet them and , "■" ^o'-g to run t« 
 
 roem, and you must lie down iiat on tu 
 sward, and the fairies will >■ ^''^y 
 
 do we'll kno„, fr ;;. ';^'^°;r y-- « ^hoy 
 
 -d flowe. which th^ X: . *"'''"' '^'^ 
 
 -y us. toi camage.s on your 
 
THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTERS. 
 
 45 
 
 '■« 
 
 clothes, and after that 
 
 you'll belong to us. Will 
 
 you stay with us until twelve o'clock, and wait for 
 the fairies?* 
 
 Now, Fred had not quite bargained for this; 
 nevertheless, the witchery which Dark Rosaleen threw 
 over her subjects was compelling him. Amy held 
 out a cold and timid hand. 
 
 'You may as well wait now you have come,' she 
 said; 'it will be a sort of comfort, when we are 
 going through the most terrific punishment for 
 this, to know that you will be going through the 
 same.' 
 
 * Well, I '11 stop, and bear the punishment, and be 
 as plucky as you please,' said Fred; 'but I must 
 make a condition.' 
 
 'What is that?' asked Rosaleen. 
 
 'It will have nothing whatever to do with you. 
 Rose; it is for Amy.' 
 
 'Oh! I like that,' said Amy; 'and j^ou do want 
 to be my twin— don't you Fred ? ' 
 
 'Of course I do,' replied Fred. 'I would have 
 been your twin if you had let me.' 
 
 'You never could be that. You hadn't the same 
 father and mother. But what is the condition?' 
 
 ' This,' said Fred, ' that you don't ask me to spell 
 no words,' 
 
 •Very well,' replied Amy; 'but I had some good 
 
 i i- 
 
 ii'J I 
 
 I 
 
" 
 
 46 
 
 THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTERS. 
 
 ones — "laboratory" and "bacteriology," and a few 
 others of tlie same sort.' 
 
 'Oh! don't begin,' said Fred; 'if you do I'll 
 
 fly.' 
 
 •And if you do I'll puil your hair,' said Rosaken; 
 'and you're to be chummy with me, remember, Frod, 
 as well as with Amy. Now then, it's all settled, 
 and we'll wait till twelve o'clock.' 
 
 'I wonder what's the hour now?' cried Fred. 
 'Oh, quite early/ said Rosaleen; -it's not ten yet. 
 We have two hours to wait.' 
 
 'Seems to me it's rather cold,' said Fred. He 
 glanced at the two little sisters in white evening- 
 frocks. They wore pinafores over them; but they 
 had thin shoes on, and nothing at' all to keep away 
 the damp from the copse. Fred too had only come 
 out in his little indoor suit. He shivered slightly. 
 'Let's walk about,' said Amy. 
 'Nothing of the kind,' replied Rose. 'Let's take 
 another inch of cake each, and a sip of the rasp- 
 berry-vinegar lemonade.' 
 
 The raspberry-vinegar lemonade was not a stimu- 
 lating mixture, and it certainly did not add either 
 to the spirits or the heat of the little party. Pre- 
 sently Fred spoke. 
 
 'I am going to run about,' he said. 'I'm all 
 froze up.' 
 
i 
 
 II 
 
 The little girl darted a few feet away, and presently was pirouetting 
 
 wildly round. paqe 47 
 
fl 
 
 THE NAUGHTY LITTLE SISTERS. 
 
 47 
 
 'Oh! and I'll run too/ cried Amy. 'Do let me 
 go with you, Fred.' 
 
 They linked their arms together and went out on 
 the grass. It looked quite bright and cheerful in 
 the centre of the field, and Fred waH pleased to see 
 that the moon would keep them company for at 
 least another hour, llosaleen fiew after them. 
 
 'Let's dance,' she said; 'that will please the 
 fairies. Do you know the real fairies' dance, 
 Fred?' 
 'No,' answered Fred. 
 
 ' Well, I '11 teach you. Here ! point your toes out ; 
 now give me your right hand; now hold my right 
 hand so; now then, step out. Here, I'll do it first, 
 all by myself.' 
 
 The little girl darted a few feet away, pointed 
 her pretty toes, and presently was pirouetting wildly 
 round. She danced gracefully; she twirled round. 
 There was nothing, it seemed to Fred, that she could 
 not do; and presently she danced up to the other 
 two children and made a low bow. 
 
 'I am the Fairy Queen,' she said. 'Oh, I wish 
 the rest of them were out! I would go with them, 
 and you two should be my subjects. You're not 
 cold now, are you?* 
 ' Cold ? * said Amy. ' I am shivering.' 
 'Well, dance about.' 
 
48 
 
 THE NAU.HTV LITTLE SLSTERS 
 
 ""oo more in hia l ^ ^ '"'"^' '"''"'cW Inm 
 
 ,^.«"-. ...e..H,; V - rj'i :t, t ^-" 
 
 1h8 own way wa. n , ^^^''' ^^^d, in 
 
 ""V, was noarlv ni ,,«« i? i 
 
 •i-^-c »ove„,e„e .a,.,, J,: «:7/"' - K-- the 
 
 A..,y stood silent and Uiiserable ' qi. . 
 «'owly over her ^pellin. ■ ! ! '""° *" ^o 
 
 -J 'thermograph. 1 °"'"^' ' '««t-iology,. 
 
 «eitin, to pose as a LZe'""t- """' ™°™ 
 ■■oom than to follow I , ^"'' '" "'^ ^''■"»'- 
 
 tures. °"^ "^"'^^ i" her mad adven- 
 
 Sut the time flew by and H,. 
 the heavens; and Rose hid • """" '""^ ''«'' '" 
 that the fairies wo^ so f ^' ^™-'^ -onnced 
 "-• bettor lie dorlnT "^ """ "'"' ^'^^ 
 
 "fti. field inZ:;,";'^'"?"""*'''''-' 
 
 h'-ownies and the fairies to t,-''" "'""'^ '"' ">" 
 footstep was heard ann * '""'' •"■"•• when a 
 
 ^> F-o, his ; :^^ rir "' "•- -«' -'-t 
 
 ">« 0.e scene. "' ■"<''S»ation, appeared 
 
49 
 
 CHAPTEH IV. 
 
 VEAL vim AND COLD SAWAOES. 
 
 F course the „„ugl,ty little sisters were 
 severely „„„i,hed. They were taken 
 «tra.ght home into mother's presence, 
 and mother was told of their very 
 weked. very disgraceful conduct; and then tZ 
 wore sent to bed, and told that their father Z 
 
 nothe would have something to say to the , „' 
 the follow„,g morning. ^^^^ ^^ 
 
 token Fred's hand and walked with him a 1 '^ 
 aquare, and asked to see Mrs Carlingford, lo 1 
 
 ™d a tn ™r""" '"" "■« "«'^ w ir: 
 
 Doeto ha? "" '''°- *' ^''^""'"^'"■'' -" «- 
 
 F^ tood r '!"v°"™'""™ ''' "^""^ ^-0^ »'• 
 s!i? :,n,™r: ''"■"'^■' "^'^'^^ "^ •-'^ ">"- a 
 
 eve e cinll. and the tea,, were coming and goin. 
 in his brown eyes. ^ ^ 
 
 Tile Otitis an J tlie Eveiia. r* 
 
i ^i; 
 
 50 
 
 VEAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 
 
 i 
 
 The next day the two little Freres and Fred were 
 in bed with very bad colds, and Dr Frere administered 
 some medicine more bitter than usual. He told his 
 wife that he had quite a pleasure in making the 
 medicine particularly unpalatable; and the children, 
 who were accustomed during their brief and few and 
 far between illnesses to having great notice taken of 
 them, and great pity bestowed upon them, on this 
 occasion found that only the disagreeableness of being 
 ill fell to their share ; and Fred was just as severely 
 treated as Rosalcen and Amy. Therefore, the mid- 
 night picnic in the copse remained long in the 
 memory of the little boy as a most disagreeable 
 matter to think about. But far wider consequences 
 were to result from this act of naughtiness on the 
 part of the Dark Rosaleen; for this was in reality 
 the first beginning of the great quarrel. 
 
 A week passed ; the days of punishment had come 
 to an end, and the Freres and the Carlingfords met. 
 The Freres at least were quite cheerful once more, 
 and the Carlingfords thoughi that it was tiine for 
 a real jollification. 
 
 In the Carlingfords' house was a very large under- 
 ground room. It ran the whole width of the wide 
 house, and was as cheerful and useful an apartment 
 as any children could desire. 
 
 iu Nina's ptrsuasions, Mrs Carlingford 
 
 Owinof 
 
VEAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 
 
 51 
 
 agreed that a tea should be given in the children's 
 parlour, as it was called, and each of the Freres 
 was to be invited. 
 
 'You must let me manage the entertaiiiment, 
 mother,' said Nina. 
 
 'Of course, darling,' replied her mother. 'I shall 
 be only too pleased.' 
 
 ' Well, I want all sorts of out-of-the-way things. 
 I don't want quite an ordinary tea. I want cold 
 sausages and veal pies.' 
 
 * My dear Nina, could anything be more unwhole- 
 some ? ' 
 
 ' And tomato salad,' continued Nina in the calmest 
 voice ; ' tomato salad with chopped onions in one 
 corner. We used sometnnes to have those kind of 
 dishes at the school in Brussels — sometimes, not 
 often; and I want to have that tea to-morrow 
 night. It is a very important occasion — very im- 
 portant indeed.' 
 
 •Very well, dear,' said her mother; 'only you 
 really must be careful not to cat too much of the 
 cold veal pie ; it is not good for any of you at this 
 hour, and I doubt if Dr Frero ' 
 
 ' Mother,' said Nina, ' when we go over to the 
 Freres' to tea and enjoy a hearty meal in that " den " 
 of theirs, we always take what is put before us 
 without any complaint; and wlten the Freres come 
 
52 
 
 VEAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 
 
 •trmngements. ' *'" necessary 
 
 'This is going to be a very ^reat non • 
 a very imDorf«nf ^ > , ^ occasion, and 
 
 '-'^y irapouant one, she sairl *„« • 
 
 Peach. ^'"^^ *"^^^"g once to 
 
 'Yes,' answered PeMh. 'Why?' 
 
 ;A great deal hangs on iV .aid Nina. 
 
 More hanjnst an everyday tea? We have f 
 every week of our lives with ti r- '^^ 
 
 'Ida.-esay/rep,ie~t,'^''"7''*''^^-''- 
 
 '■>';-H of tea wL the ;l:i:: ''-:-'''■«> 
 
 :^ f-eth, and whe.e is MalcCn, 7.^1 7 
 to them both.' "^ '^^ ®Peak 
 
 ^I will run and fetch them.' said Peach 
 
 She ran out of the room Th„ i, . 
 'den' was at the ton of tl, '., ^^ """ P"™*» 
 
 nearly „s bi.t tie ''°"^^-'' g^«" ^l? attic. 
 
 P'«- ll.e boys were busy as usual 
 
53 
 
 VKAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAOES. 
 
 ove„o„e seiontifie experi,„e„ts. They said • Bother' • 
 
 mat JNma wanted them. 
 
 ■I'm not going; said Kenneth. 'Tell Ninn „i. 
 has got to wait.' ""* "'"' 
 
 Now "vo'r™ t"" '''"""'• '" ^''™' h«lf-an-hour. 
 U,!t:T"^ of going .w,, ,^, ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ 
 
 •StiJI Peach held her ground 
 ...tl:: '"' "^"^^ ^°' ''-=-■■ -^^ "- younger 
 
 Pea'ch" ™""'' "^'" "" '"^^^ S» to^-^'her/ said 
 Kenneth raised his dark brows. 
 'What's the matter r he asked 
 
 we/rhat'r''.,r""' ''"°"-'^"" '^"°- p-f-% 
 
 ool V ' ' " ''"™' '^' N'- has a.,ked y„„ t^ 
 
 yon ro a b,t of a coward. Nina leads you any way 
 
 Bhe I,kes. Why do you say things behfnd her blck 
 
 that yo„ wouldn't .say to her face?' 
 Kenneth coloured. 
 
 ■Upon my word,' ho said, 'what is the world 
 
 til 
 
54 
 
 VEAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 
 
 coming to? All right, young un. Of course I'm 
 very fond of Nina ; she 's a jolly girl, and no mistake. 
 I'll come down and hear what she has got to say; 
 but we are both very busy making experiments, 
 and can't be bothered by girls all the time, you 
 know.' 
 
 'You say that to Nina when you see her,' said 
 Peach, who had plucked up great spirit during the 
 past week. And then the three ran downstairs. 
 
 Nina had now arranged the tea-table to her satis- 
 faction. It looked very pretty. She liked to do 
 things nicely. Of course there were flowers on the 
 table, and a great dish of oranges at one end, and 
 an enormous group of bananas at the other; and the 
 tea equipage was at one side, with cups and saucers 
 of the harlequin pattern, which always delighted the 
 children; and then the centre of the board was 
 flanked by the cold sausages and the veal pies and 
 the tomato salad; and there were a few cakes, and 
 some plates of brown-and-white bread and butter. 
 
 'It's a very good supper indeed,' said Nina; 'it 
 is the kind of supper that strong people would like 
 to eat. I do not intend any of my followers to have 
 milk-and-water diet in the future. Oh, here you 
 are, boys! Shut the door, please, Malcolm.' 
 
 'What do you want?' said Kenneth. 'We are 
 dreadfully busy.' 
 
VEAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 
 
 55 
 
 i I'm 
 stake. 
 I say; 
 neiits, 
 
 , you 
 
 are 
 
 'We're experimenting,' said Malcolm, 'and we 
 have nearly got a vacuum. Don't keep us, please, 
 Nina.' 
 
 'I won't keep you when I have said what I want 
 to say.' 
 
 'Well, what is it?' asked Kenneth. 
 
 Nina walked towards the fire. She trrned now 
 and faced her brother^ 
 
 ' We have asked the Freres-or rather the Evens, 
 as I prefer to call them-to come over to-night,' 
 because we have something solemn to say. Fred 
 has been undergoing punishment for the last 
 week.' 
 
 'And richly he deserved it,' said Kenneth. 
 
 Nina stamped her foot. 
 
 ' He did not deserve it. It « that cheeky, rebellious, 
 
 little Dark Rosaleen that deserves it, and I am going 
 
 to have an explanation; and I want you boys to 
 
 promise me that when the time comes you will 
 
 back me up. Rosaleer has got to eat humble-pie 
 
 for leading poor little Amy and Fred into miscnief.' 
 
 'I can't see it,' said Kenneth. 'Peach told me 
 
 the whole story. Fred joined their picnic of his 
 
 own accord. I cannot see that Rosaleen is specially 
 
 to blame.' 
 
 'All right; you leave it to me. Rosaleen wants 
 to be mistress in our two families, and I do not 
 
m 
 
 \ll 
 
 56 
 
 VEAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 
 
 intend to allow it. That is all, boys. I expect yov;. 
 to back me up. If you don't— well, ;. ou '11 be .sorry 
 you didn't, that 's all.' 
 
 Kenneth and Malcolm lookod at tivoir sist'^r in 
 some wonder; but presently they thought prudence 
 tue better \mt of valour, and went back in silence 
 to their exp&nnierr'y in the attic. 
 
 'Oh, what is =t Nina?' said Peach, runnin;,^ up 
 to her sisttr. 
 
 'Nothing for the present,' said Nina. 'I did not 
 think it necessary to consult you about it, Peach. 
 You naturally will do just what I tell you ; but the 
 Dark Rosiileen has got to eat humble-pie. It is 
 absolutely necessary for the good of the two families. 
 1 have thought it all out, and I know exactly what 
 I am doing.' 
 
 Peach felt her heart beating with great excitement. 
 This was really most entertaining. She had been 
 jealous now and then of Dark Rosaleen. Why should 
 that spirited and very handsome little girl have 
 everything her own way ? During the other holidays 
 when Nina was away at school, Rosaleen, young as 
 she was, had conductec' the games, had ordered ,ha 
 pursuits of the hour, had taken the lead. 
 'Run upstairs an<: ^nake yourself as smair. '>.-:• 
 
 DU 
 
 can/ said Nina. 'Tl^y will be here in a q- t. ler of 
 an hour. Of course we will do nothing unt 1 after 
 
up 
 
 VEAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 57 
 
 tea. I would not bo ru.le for the world. You must 
 leave the thing to me; a great deal hangs on it— a 
 great deal more than you think.' 
 
 Peach ran out of the room. On the stairs she 
 met Fred. 
 
 'What's up now?' said Fred. 
 
 •Oh, what a girl Nina is!' said Peach. 'She 
 is the most splendid, staunch, grand creature that 
 ever walked the earth.' 
 
 ' What do you mean ? ' said Fred. 
 
 'I won't tell you,' answered Peach. 'Only, make 
 yourself look as nice as you can, Fred. We are 
 going to have a ti.ne to-night. Oh, darling Nina, 
 brave Nina ! You love her— don't you, Fred ? ' 
 
 'Of course,' said Fred; 'but I lo.-e Rosaleen and 
 Amy too.* 
 
 •Don't bother me about those Frere children,' 
 replied Peach, almost in a tone of passion. 'You 
 will be surprised at some things that will happen to- 
 night, Fred. You had better keep your ears open; 
 and it's on account of you, and you talk like 
 that! Oh, I could slap you! How dare you talk 
 like that?' 
 
 'I think I had better keep away from you just 
 at present,' said Fred. ' You 're talking sort of riddles, 
 and you look very fierce and r->3ss. I don't know 
 thit things have improved since Nina came back. 
 
«8 
 
 VEAr, PIES AND COLD SAUSAfJES. 
 
 B«t.^ol, dear- I don't want you to slap me. Pa,, 
 
 He held out his hand, which, according to the code 
 of honour with the Carlingfords, Peach w»^ obliged 
 to accept, even against her will. 
 
 She ran upstoivs and dressed herself as neatly as 
 she could. Nina followed her n,ore slowly. Nina 
 went past Peach's tiny room, which adjoined Freds 
 and wont on to her own very curious apartn.ent.' 
 She looked attentively at her face in the gla^s 
 
 ■Its too ridiculous,' she said to herself, 'that a 
 ch. d of eleven and I should be rivals, and yet such 
 .3 the case. The Dark Kosaleen has got character- 
 great character. I am quite willing to lead her 
 I am quite willing to help her, I am quite willinJ 
 to mould her; but she must submit to me; she musl 
 once for all feel that there is one person who is 
 completely and absolutely her mistress' 
 
 So Nina fluffed out her pretty hair, put on 
 the dress she knew she looked best in (a soft pale 
 toe), and looked at the lovely ro.ses in her cheeks 
 and a the hght in her eye,,, and then went gently 
 downstairs just as if .she were the meekest, iLa^ 
 of the most spirited, girl in all the world 
 
 The ^e.s(. had now arrived ; and, a. this occasion 
 was evidently one of great importance, they had also 
 dressed with care. Prue and Patty were in white 
 
VEAL PIES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 59 
 
 and looked as sweet and <]ainty as two very pretty 
 little girls could look. The Dark Rosaloen was in 
 cnmson-her favourite eolour-and An,y was in 
 pale blue. Amy looked subd, ed, and more inclined 
 to offer competitions in the spelling line than ever- 
 and Fred, who seemed to read this thought in her 
 eyes, backed awa^- from her on the spot. 
 
 'No, no,' he said to himself, 'I'll not be dis^rraced 
 on account of my spelling. Amy is very nice, and 
 a sort of a half-twin of mine; but I'll not have her 
 showmg me up before the others.' 
 
 Amy was very gracious and placid. She had for- 
 gotten her wild orgy in the copse, and had resumed 
 her former character of exeu.plary goodness. She 
 went over to Peach an.l began to tell her about her 
 school work. 
 
 'I am preparing for our next term,' she said 'I 
 am certain to get a reumve. I shall bo in a class 
 with girls quite two years older than myself and I 
 mean to show them that I am quite their equal 
 I mean to get a prize in that class. I am only taking 
 Ii-nghsh and geology. Do you know anything about 
 geology, Po;...;, ?' 
 
 ' I never heard oi' it before,' answered Peach. 
 
 'Oh Peach, and you are ten years old! I am 
 surprised ; vou re same age as me. How is it you 're 
 so baekwai ^ ? ' 
 
i r 
 
 60 
 
 
 VEAL I'lES AND COLD SAUSAGES. 
 'I like bein,,. backward/ said Peach, who 
 
 , ., , ' -^v.c»v.i, wnu felt 
 
 terribly ^go-ravatecl by Amy'» superior ^,„ner 
 
 •Now then,' called o«t the guy, cheerful vo.ee of 
 Nina, a, we are all ,„«„,nbled, we may a., well enjoy 
 our to. I will pour out. of cou..e. Dark Rosaleon, 
 coa-e antj sit ntar mo.' 
 
 'Why Should ir said Rosaleen. 'I would much 
 rather sit next to Fred.' 
 
 'Oh just as you please,' answered Nina in a 
 would-be indifferent tone. 'Fre.., come over and 
 s.t nea.- Dark Ro.HaIeen. Now then, let us all be-nn' 
 Kenneth, fr,„„ the other end of the table, stood 
 «P ami said grace, and then the children began to 
 a tack the viand. They were all hungry, and the 
 V al p,es, he cold sausages, and oven the ton,ato 
 salad found great acceptance in th, r eyes What 
 naughty drean.s they .ight ' ,s: aft, . wards reu.ained 
 to be proved ; but for the time being they thoroughly 
 appreciated Ninas rati, .. peculiar diet. Theu"the 
 cakes were consumed, and the oranges and the 
 bananas; and then Nina went to the .11 an,l rang 
 . , and the servant came in ar. err .ed the tea- 
 thmg.,, and nothing was left of fc, t except the 
 table on which it had been laid, which was a very 
 long one. and covered fro.u end to end with green 
 baize. ^ 
 
 'Now what shall we do?' said Dark Rosaleen. ' 
 
 M 
 
VEAL PIEH AND COLD SAUSAGES. gl 
 
 Her splendid eyes were gleaming, and she showed 
 a ghnt of her white teeth, and looked handsomer 
 than almost any little girl ever looked before. Her 
 hair stood in a thick mass round her glowing face. 
 She jumped up and said : 
 
 'Let me choose the garner, please, Nina.' 
 
62 
 
 ! 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A DEOLAIiATlON OF WAR. 
 
 ilNA looked very attentively at Kosaloen. 
 ■Ihc^y ma,Ie a perfect contrast as ti.ey 
 stood facing each other. Nina was hV 
 and „oft and fair; u,„,,,|„„„ „„, 
 and iptritiutte. 
 
 ■I-t me choose tl,e fran,OH; repeated the little ..irl 
 Ihen she added, layin^r her hind f „ 
 Nnias, ■! ahvay.s ,1„, you know." 
 
 • Ves, I know; an»were,l Nina She spoke in her 
 calmest tones ; she was c«n.sid,.rinK. 
 
 Poaeh, who knew ,s„n,ething of "what was con.in. 
 «nd Ken and Malcolm, who were also uncon.fortal,: 
 w.th pren,onitions which they co.dd not exactly 
 rf^'fine, watched their elder sister intently 
 
 lre.l sidled up to Dark Kosaleen and slipped his 
 hand thron.,h her arm. M'hen he did th,s Amy 
 fe-ave Inn, a glance of withering contempt, wi 
 
A DECLARATION OP WAR. ^g 
 
 that the way her half-twin was treating her ? She 
 thouglit oneo more of her spelling, of her good 
 conduct, of her exemplary life. She must give Fred 
 up. Pretty as he was, he was not at all the sort 
 ot little boy who ought to associate with a girl of 
 her calibre. 
 
 'May I choose the games ?' asked Rosaleen a third 
 time. ' Oh ! do be ,,uick, Nina ; you 're very big, but 
 you re very slow, and time is passing. We want 
 our games so badly.' 
 
 •You are my guest, of course,' said Nina. 'What 
 A'ames wo.dd you like to have ? Yes, it seems fair 
 enough that you should choose at least tlu- first 
 and I will choose tlie second. The Evens choose 
 the first, and the Odds choose the second; that's 
 fair enough. What do you choose, Rosaleen ? ' 
 
 •Blind-man's Buff,' replied Rosaleen, without 
 a moment's hesitation-' Blind-man's Buff, and the 
 run of the entire house.' 
 
 Now. Blind-man's Buff without the run of the 
 entire house is a very insipid ^ame; and the Carling- 
 fords and the Freres, on every occasion when they 
 n.et together,, had the run of the house for this 
 amusement. 
 
 'Very well,' said Nina; 'we can have it. We will 
 have Blind man's Buff for exactly a quarter of an 
 .our. «ne took out her little watch and laid it on 
 
 1 
 
i 
 
 64 
 
 A DECLARATION OF WAR. 
 
 'to 
 
 \l 
 
 the mantelpiece as she spoke. 'You had better start 
 as fast as you can. Rosaleen ; arrange the game 
 and let us beo-in.' 
 
 _ Rosaleen gave a wild sort of whoop, and imme- 
 diately began to choose her party. 
 
 In two minutes' time the entire house of Carling- 
 ford was in wild confusion. Children were racing 
 up and down stairs; children were shoutin-r and even 
 yelling to each other. Even Nina forgot her resolve, 
 and all that was to come of it, as she followed in 
 Rosaleen's spirited wake. But, sharp to the moment 
 when the quarter of an hour was up. she called her 
 httle party down to the children's parlour. 
 
 •Now it is my turn,' she said. 'Let us have 
 "Consequences."' 
 
 'Consequences' is a very interesting game when 
 played by grown-up people; but these children had 
 never heard of it before. They gnnnbled a little 
 as Nma supplied then) with slips of paper and 
 pencils. She did not listen, however, to a word of 
 discontent, but led the game, and put plenty of 
 spirit into it. 
 
 Rosaleen began to frown and knit her brows 
 ;l don't like that game,' she said. 'I want some- 
 thing lively-stirring about. I hate games where you 
 have to sit at the table and never move.' 
 'You happen to be my guest; and I gave you the 
 
65 
 I 
 
 A DECLARATION OP WAR. 
 
 choice on the first occasion/ answered Nina, 
 enjoyed your game ; you ought to enjoy mine. That 
 is but fair.' 
 
 ' Oh yes, surely that is but fair/ said Prue, raising 
 her pretty little round face, and looking with affec- 
 tion at Nina. 
 
 'But we have had enough of "Consequences."' 
 cried Nina, suddenly springing to her feet, and let- 
 ting her pencil and paper fall to the floor. ' I want 
 to say something, very special. It is about Rosaleen. 
 Come here, Rosaleen; stand near me. The rest 
 of you, listen. I want you all to judge between 
 Rosaleen and me.' 
 
 'Oh, this is fun!' said Rosaleen, clapping her 
 hands-' to judge between us ? Is it to play at a 
 sort of court, or what is it?' 
 
 'It is not play at all,' answered Nina; 'it is 
 sober and very solemn earnest. It is why I asked 
 you Freres over to-night; it is why we have had 
 our tea-party. I want to prove something. Fred, 
 stand there, and don't stir.' 
 
 Fred, pale, and looking considerably frightened, 
 approached the spot which Nina indicated. 
 ' What is it for ? ' he said, looking at Peach. 
 'Hush!' replied Peach, letting out the sound with 
 great unction. 
 
 Kenneth glan-d at his brother. He felt 
 
 The Odds and the Evens 
 
 very 
 
;i 
 
 66 
 
 A DECLAKATION OF WAR. 
 
 mnch inclined to say, -WHt rotr but ..entrained 
 himself. 
 
 Nina, her face a little pale, now took hold of 
 Ko.saleen's hand. 
 
 'RoBaleen; she said, -I want to say something 
 very plainly. A.s to poor An.y, sl.e i,s ,,uite out 
 of this. Amy is, I believe, a good child. She is 
 very much the sort of child Peach is. They are 
 both good ; I do not know how they will grow up. 
 I expect it depends on you and me.' 
 
 Rosaleen raised her pretty eyes and fixed them 
 with a dancing, audacious mixture of love, aduura-' 
 tion, and anger, on Nina's face. 
 ' What do you mean ? ' she asked. 
 • I am coming soon to what I mean. Amy and 
 Peach depend on us. We are leaders, you and I. 
 Now. there cannot be two leaders in a camp You 
 belong to the Evens and I belong to the Odds ; and we 
 two families have always been great friends. I have 
 been away at school for the last three years. I went 
 away when I was twelve, quite a small girl; and I 
 l.ave returned now when I am fifteen, a big girl 
 and, compared to you, Rosaleen, nearly grown-up' ' 
 'I am very big indeed for eleven, and I'U be 
 twelve in three months' time,' said Rosaleen. 
 
 'A mere child; quite an infant,' said Nina in a 
 scornful, tone. 
 
 
A DECLAllATION OF WAR. 
 
 67 
 
 be 
 
 Rosaleen flushed, doubled up her little fist u-mI 
 looked much inclined to aim a smart blow at Nina's 
 ear. Nnia saw the action, smiled slightly, and did 
 not resent it. 
 
 'Never n.ind,' she said, touching the little girl or. 
 
 he shoulder; 'you will know presently exactly what 
 
 1 mean. If I hadn't gone away to school you wouldn't 
 
 be m the position you occupy now, Rosaleen. I don't 
 
 mean you to retain that position any bncrer' 
 
 ' What-do-you-mean ? ' asked Rosaleen, dropping 
 out her words slowly. Her eyes flashed; she very 
 nearly ground her teeth. 
 
 'Oh, quiet, my dear; do keep yourself composed 
 I want to say plainly to you Evens '-Nina glanced 
 as she spoke at the four Freres-'and to you Odds' 
 -here she looked at the Carlingfords-' that I am 
 cader. There cannot be two leaders. When we meet 
 I take the .control. I do this by reason of the fact 
 hat I an. longer in the world than Rosaleen, that 
 I know n.ore, that I am nearer the age of the 
 g.-own-ups, that I have wisdon. and tact, and that 
 a little ignorant girl like Dark Rosaleen must be 
 brought to know her place.' 
 '1 won't. I hate you!' said Rosaleen. 
 ' Wait a while, Rose. I have not done yet Of 
 course you are angry now; you will get over it 
 You have a very bad temper-^have you not?' 
 
68 
 
 A DECLARATION OF WAR. 
 
 'No. 
 
 here 
 
 from 
 
 no, no ! ' here came 
 whose faces were turning very white. 
 
 'But you cannot quarrel with me in my own 
 house,' said Nina, 'however angry you may feel; 
 that would be terribly unfair. I want to state a 
 case. There can be no possible quarrel to-night. 
 Rosaleen, you acted extremely shabbily a week ago.' 
 'What did I do?' asked Rosaleen. 
 'You took Amy, who is a very good child, and 
 would not have gone if you had not forced her, 
 to the copse when you ought to have been in bed 
 undergoing punishment. You went there; you took 
 a lamp with you and food; there might have been 
 an awful accident, and you might have caught your 
 deaths of cold. As it was, you were both ill— very 
 ill. But that was your affiiir and Amy's. I am 
 quarrelling with you, Rosaleen, because when Fred 
 came— Fred, who is a weak little fellow; he is a 
 dear little boy, but he is not very strong; he has 
 not got your character— when he came you led him 
 to do as badly as you did yourself. You were all 
 caught by your father, which is a great, great mercy, 
 and you were all punished. But Fred should not 
 have been punished as much as you ; and if you had 
 had any courage, Rosaleen, any sense of honour, you 
 would have told .that you were the ringleader, that 
 on you the great punisliraent should have fallen. 
 
69 
 
 A DECLARATION OF WAR. 
 
 You didn't do it; you let Fred bear a, „„eh 
 blame as you, and you never said a word. I am 
 not g„,ng to talk about your conduct to Amy but 
 I am ashamed of you, and I will have nothing to do 
 
 with you after to-night unless ' 
 
 'Unless what?' said Rosaleen. She looked at her 
 three sisters, she glanced at Kenneth, she looked at 
 Maleoln,; then, last of all, her eyea fell upon Fred 
 
 IT, Zr '' " *"'■ ^^ ^- o'-P-g his 
 hands tightly together, 
 
 lip^' '^°°''~'^°"''' ^'™'' «™^ ^i i«-t from hia 
 
 'Don't, Ninar replied that young lady in a tone 
 of immense spirit; 'but I shall, Fred, Rosaleen must 
 know her place. Rosaleen ha. got to go on her knees 
 and a.k your forgiveness. Oh, you need not do it 
 to-mght, Rosaleen; but if you don't do it soon I 
 declare solemnly here that there is war between the 
 Odds and the Evens. Now you all know. That 
 18 al]. Let us have another game,' 
 
70 
 
 C ri A P T E R V I. 
 
 FOU A WEEK. 
 
 IHE rest of tlic cvinung passed somehow. 
 The children, both the Odds and the 
 Evens, had flushed faces and sparkling 
 eyes, and there was a storm of anger 
 in each little heart, certainly in the hearts of the 
 four little Frercs ; and they went away rather sooner 
 
 than usual. 
 
 Nina was perfectly cheerful ; she was sedulously 
 polite, too, attending in particular to the wants of 
 the Dark Rosalcen. 
 
 At last the Freres depai-ted ; they went over 
 to their own house, but bed was now the order 
 of the hour. Prue and Patty could not say a 
 word to Kosaleen and Amy. It was not until 
 the next morning that Rosaleon declared her tirm 
 resolve never, never to yield to Nina's imperious 
 orders, 
 
FOR A WEEK. 
 
 71 
 
 'She certainly was very bad last night,' remarked 
 Prue ; ' she was most fierce and unpleasant.' 
 
 'I don't mean to speak to her any more,' said 
 Rosaleen. 'You can, of course, if you like, Prue, 
 and so can you, Patty ; but if she tliinks that / 
 am going on my knees to anybody ' 
 
 'Well, well!' exclaimed Prue, 'I must go round and 
 have a talk with them ; this will never do. We 
 cannot live without the friendsliip of the Carling- 
 fords; they air our own great special friends.' 
 
 Rosaleen here sprang to her feet ; she clenched 
 her fists; her eyes shone; her teeth gleamed. 
 
 'If there is a person in all the world that I hate 
 — ^hate — hate, she cried, 'it is Nina Carlingford. 
 She is horrid ; she is ugly ; she is nasty. I will 
 ncA) speak to her again ; and I forbid you. Amy, to 
 sportk to hor again ; and if you do I '11 pull your 
 hair, and I'll pinch you, and I'll tell you the 
 »aost horrid stories when you are going to bed, all 
 about goblins and sprites and wicked, wicked fairies, 
 and you won't have a minute's peace ; and I '11 do it 
 dH if you over speak to Nina again. I won't go 
 i»l«r to her, that 1 won't.' 
 
 ' You Ve ia a passion now,' said Patty, ' and not 
 ijf'uite sure oC what you are saying. Let's talk it 
 over foe a week. I am going to see Nina ; nhe 
 inuai Mot be crUe% She is a y:reHL deal older tliuu 
 
72 
 
 FOR A WEEK. 
 
 you, and she ought to have 
 
 some sense. But 
 ^ith the Carlingfoi 
 
 we 
 
 >: ;i 
 
 cannot really, truly quarre 
 we cannot truly.' 
 
 'I am certain of one thing,' cried Amy-here she 
 burst into sobs-' I'm certain sure that Fr.d, my 
 httle half -twin, doesn't like it a bit.' 
 
 'Oh, Fred!_he isn't worth thinking of said 
 Rosaleen; 'poor little mousy boy! I don't think 
 at all of Fred.' 
 
 'He is a very nice little boy,' answered Amy 
 'Oh dear, oh dear! and I could have taught him 
 spelling that beautiful. I know he could have 
 learned. I like Peach, too, very well, though she 
 is so ignorant.' 
 
 'I hate people who are not ignorant,' said Rosaleen 
 'I hate knowledged people. I hate people who go 
 to school and learn their lessons. I hate people 
 who spell. I hate people who talk grand. I like 
 ignorants; those are the people I like. And I mean 
 to run away and be a gipsy; that's what I mean 
 to do. I '11 be Q,H>en of the Gipsies, and I '11 never 
 see horrid Nina Carlingford again. But I tell you 
 what; when she's married, and has got a husband 
 and a child of her own, I '11 steal it, 'cos all gipsies 
 steal children of the people they hate. I'll steal 
 it-that's what I'll do. You tell her when you go 
 over, Prue, to marry quick, and tell her to have a 
 
FOR A WEEK. 
 
 she 
 my 
 
 child quick, and tell hor to lov. 
 
 78 
 
 T'li X , .. , *^ tremendous, and 
 
 there she «Med, -I ne„l„, wait for that Nina i 
 
 not. Oh, I hate her ! I l,ate he,, i • 
 
 Prue and Patty thought it best now to leave the 
 angry Eo„aleo„ to her own roflectiona. In the course 
 of the day they called upon Nina; they called, offer- 
 ing ,n the>r own small persons a flag of truce. 
 
 perfectly well that Eosaleen is only a baby compared 
 
 Nina wa,, looking extremely placid. It was not 
 
 hr way to get ver, angry; it was her way to take 
 the lead m a quiet, effective style. She could never 
 *™ l,ke Rosaleen; she ccld never give way to 
 torrents of angry words. 
 
 •What is the .natter ?■ .,he said, looking placidly 
 at the s,ster.s. 'Patty, my dear, what a very pretty 
 frock! Is .t your new frock for next term'' 
 
 'Yes. Do you like it?' replied Patty. 'Mother 
 
 Tl Z "'^^•'^P'-<i'^P>aid;andIamto 
 have a httle coat to match, and a cap the same. I 
 tlimk it Ls very pretty.' 
 'So do I. I like it awfully, .aid Nina. 'And 
 '" "" "'^ ^''^^y y-^rseli, you know, Patty.' 
 
 you 
 
El ft 
 
 'm 
 
 74 
 
 FOR A WEEK. 
 
 But now, Nina darling,' cried Prue, 'do be reason- 
 able. You cannot expect poor little Rosaleen to go 
 on her knees to Fred, and to beg his pardon.' 
 'I don't; said Nina. 
 
 'Then that's all right, Nina; we know it.' said 
 Patty, with a cry of relief. ' We knew you were 
 only pretending. You will let her know that you 
 don^t expect it. You only said it to frighten 
 
 •No. I didn't,' said Nina. 'I told Rosaleen plainly 
 what I expecN.!. If she does not go on her knees 
 I shall not . .i; to her again; and what is more 
 Prue and Patty, although I like you both very 
 much, and I i,ke little Amy after a fashion, yet 
 I shall not let my brothers and sister speak to 
 you either. There will be a split between us-a 
 big, big quarrel. I am leader, and Rosaleen has got 
 to obey me. Once she does obey me, I'll be as 
 nice to her as possible; I'll help her.' 
 
 'She won't do it,' answered Patty. 'I cannot- 
 cannot believe you are in earnest, Nina.' 
 
 'Now, look here,' said Nina. 'I do this-for of 
 course Ken does not like it, and of course Malcolm 
 does not like it, and poor little Fred has been crying 
 himself half sick, and even my little Peach thinks 
 me very cruel-because I know I am in the right 
 Rosaleen must go under. She will be intolerable 
 
FOR A WEEK. 
 
 whon she grown up if ^] 
 1 will ojve lie 
 
 75 
 
 l>o goes on in this fashi 
 
 r a week— I will o 
 
 nn). 
 
 you fill a 
 
 wo.*_t„at will U3 „.o,.„ ,„a„ t: Mlo of the 
 
 I^iutor holidays, Thwv «ill 1„. i , 
 
 to hooml; and „t tho „„,] of a wook-thi.s d.n- 
 
 an.' th n Ro«aleon will bo asked once „„„. whothe 
 she w.ll obey or whether »ho won't; „nd if ,he 
 say. „o, ana w. ,oe that .ho n.oan.s no. why, thoro 
 -" bo a split, that's all. But fo. tho no.^ wook 
 we w,ll fjo on as usual. You had hotter „so jour 
 mfluonce. Pruo , and you. Patty ' 
 
 .ilTi" "' '"V"'*^'' -'''' '^'^y -y 
 
 •No, don't do anything of the sort; this is „„r 
 own affinr. It oonoorns us children, and I don't 
 
 eWso that our i.ronts should b. w-oniod over the 
 niatter. 
 
 'Isnppose H „.„ul,l ,.. host not,' said Patty; 
 
 mother wouM flii.il- u i. 
 
 ^AouM tlnnlv It great nonsense, and ho 
 
 would father.' 
 
 Nina coloured now somewhat unco,Mforta])ly ; then 
 «ho rose slowly. 
 
 '1 Lave a lot to do.' she ,„arkod. ■ Perhaps you 
 had bettor go back now. girls.' 
 
 'But you will „t least love „. and be friendly 
 dunn, the week ?' said Patty. ■ It seems awful thJt 
 
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76 
 
 FOR A WEEK. 
 
 a quarrel like thi. .h„uld fco Wd upon „,,; but 
 for a week at least we will be as usual »■ 
 
 ■Yes,' answered Nina, She went up to the 
 two g,rls and kiased each o{ then, on their rosy 
 
 g 
 
but 
 
 77 
 
 the 
 roay 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 NINA THE INCOEIlIaiBLB. 
 
 jHE week parsed with great outward 
 
 <IHt«E» J ^ "'"'^- '^^' '^^^^ ""d 'h^ Evens 
 
 W^m r?'""*'^ ■"''■ '^^^y "^t "°t only 
 ^ ,7T~^ '^*''^' ''"' """y timos a day. Mr. 
 
 J^hte. »3p,cion that there was anything wrong. 
 
 The ch,ldren met. walked togeti.er, had tea to.ethe^ 
 
 v.s,ted each other in their respective ho»ea jLt 2 
 
 -quently „s they ha,I always done in all tl" 
 
 holidays as long as they could reu,e„,Ur. Not a 
 
 word was .said of the cloud which was hanging over 
 
 their heads. " 
 
 As to Nina, she had never made herself „,„ro 
 aMe and un.elH.sh; and ahho.gn she very 
 
 o«n httle band was concerned, .she was partieularly 
 gracious and even humhk m ■, <.i"driy 
 
 !«„„ XT- "■"■ "">'""^r to Rosa- 
 
 cea Nma was biding her time 
 
78 
 
 NINA THE INCOJinifJinLE. 
 
 Rosaleon wus tlie only p,r.s,m durin^ir that week 
 of probation who showed wliere her thounl.ts ivally 
 were; for llosaleeii was silent, not to .suy sulky, in 
 Nina's prosenco, except when iu a (piick whirl' she 
 changed her n.anners and became extremely lively 
 and laughing and brilliant, encouraging the othei-s 
 to insurrection, and looking at Nina .vith intense 
 insubordination. 
 
 Nina took no notice of this expression in Rosalccn's 
 wicked and yet beautiful eyes. She knew that tlio 
 hour of her own triumph was close at hand. She 
 did not know whether she was glad or sorry; she 
 only knew one thing-that keep to her resolve she 
 must. 
 
 It had been decided that at the end of the Easter 
 holidays Nina was to go to London ave special 
 
 lessons in drawing and music until the sun.mer holi- 
 days. Her mother was making mnsiderable prepara- 
 tions for the young girl's first visit to the Metropolis, 
 and Nina was herself full of interest in her pretty 
 new frocks and in all the r.reparations for the time 
 she would be away. She was to spend about a year 
 with an aunt in London, and then come home for 
 good. Of course lier holidays would be spent at 
 home. The rest of the Carlingfords and all the 
 Freres would still live on at Warrencliffe, there being 
 excellent means of education in that thriving town. 
 
NINA THE INCORRIGIBLE. 79 
 
 But Nina wa,s to go to London, and the other 
 cin dren in spite of then.selve,s. felt an iuunenne 
 and added respect for her in consequence 
 
 At last the day before that on which the groat 
 decision was to be made arrived. The weather was 
 particularly fine. The Easter holidays extended 
 themselves into the third week of April; the sky 
 day after day, was blue and cloudless; the trees were' 
 all putting on their fresh glory of green; the birds 
 were singing; even the cuckoo was heard 
 
 Mrs Carlingford was not greatly surprised when 
 ISina came to her on the morning before the day of 
 the picnic and made her suggestion. 
 
 'You know, mother,' she said, 'that I am going to 
 London on the 22nd. To-morrow will be the 18th- 
 and we all want, as the weather is so fine, a great 
 and special treat.' 
 
 'And what is that, darling?' asked Mrs Carling- 
 ford, looking with admiration at her hand.some 
 galiant-lookincr „iH ' 
 
 'We want to go on a picnic, niother,' replied Nina 
 ' We want to go as far as Morland Towers.' 
 
 'But Morland Towers is five miles away,' said Mrs 
 Carlingford. 
 
 Yes, mummy; but you may trust me with the 
 rony-earriage-you really may ; and the Freres have 
 got their governess-earfc. We want to drive out 
 
i.*f? 
 
 ®^ ^INA THE INCORRiniBLE. 
 
 there imuiediately after breakfast, or as soon after 
 as we can get away, and take our dinner with ua, 
 and our tea; and we will be back late.' 
 
 'And you do not wish any grown-up person to 
 go with you, I suppose/ remarked Mrs Carlingford, 
 gazing out of the window, and then giving a wistful 
 glance at Nina. 
 Nina flew to her mother and hugged her. 
 'You darling little mother,' she cried, 'I would 
 love beyond anything to have you ; but it is very 
 important, and it only means us children. Another 
 time, mummy darling, you must come; but not 
 to-morrow.' 
 
 'All right, dearest. Then you wish me to give 
 directions to the cook. You want a big hamper 
 
 packed, and But are you going to take things 
 
 for the Freres as well?' 
 
 'Yes, on tins occasion I think I should like to,' 
 answered Nina, pausing in deep reflection. ' Perhaps 
 they could bring a cake or two; but we will bring 
 most of the grist to the mill. Thank you, mother; 
 that is splendid.' 
 
 Nina stood for a little longer, discoursing of those 
 viands which would be most appreciated by the 
 Odds and the Evens. 
 
 'That is such a funny name you have the habit 
 of calling yourselves,' said Mrs Carlingford. 
 
NINA THE INCOimir.IBLE. gj 
 
 'It is a good name; replied Nina in a tone of 
 reflection. 'It means a great deal; it may even 
 mean in the future more than it does now. But I 
 must not say any more, mummy darling. You are 
 ^ clear; you always do what you can to make us 
 happy.' 
 
 Nino, ran out of the room. In the passage she 
 came ^lump up against Kan.eth. Kenneth was very 
 all for his age, and rather thin. He had a sallow 
 fa.e, not unlike Peach's, and big dark eyes and 
 sensitive lips. He and Nina nmde a great contrast, 
 and both were handsome in their way. When 
 Kenneth came to man's estate he would be as fine- 
 lookmg a young fellow as heart of mother could 
 desire. 
 
 Nina now looked at him attentively. 
 
 'Where are you off to?' he asked, taking hold 
 
 of her hands and looking into her face. 
 
 'You know what a great day to-morrow is,' 
 answered Nina. 
 
 Kenneth's face became grave. 
 
 'I wish you would let me talk to you for a 
 moment. Nina.' he said. 
 
 'I will listen to you, Ken. I am always willing 
 to listen to any one who wants to give me a 
 little instruction.' said Nina, half-laughing, half- 
 pouting. 
 
 The OiUls and the Evens. p 
 
ml 
 
 82 
 
 NINA THE 
 
 He followed her into th 
 
 door. 
 
 INCORRiaiBLE. 
 
 le next room and shut the 
 
 'Now, you aro not going on with that ridiculous 
 thing?' he exclaimed. 
 
 ' With what ridiculous thing. Kenneth ? I do not 
 understand you.' 
 
 ' You do mi.lerstnnd m(>, and perfectly. It is all 
 'ot, and cannot be porn.iited fcr a moment. Malcolm 
 '"'•1 I l.ave been talking about it. and it's too 
 ridiculous. Why, do you know. Nina, that you 
 are absolutely making two families perfectly 
 wretched? We don't want to quarrel. We are 
 very fond of the Freres. and they are very fond 
 of us; and just because a little monkey like 
 Rosaleen chooses to ,lo a downright naughty thing 
 we are to have a regular split. Why, what will 
 mother say ? ' 
 
 'Nothing,' replied Nina. 
 
 ' What do you mean by that ? ' 
 
 'She won't know anything about it. She is never 
 to know; that will be in the bargain. If it is war 
 to the knife, one of the conditions of war to the 
 i^n.fe ,s that the parents in both houses are to 
 know nothing— nothing— nothing.' 
 
 'And you seriously mean,' said Kenneth, 'not to 
 speak to any of the Freres if that little goose of a 
 Rose d(,es not go on her knees to Fred ? You don't 
 
ut the 
 
 culoiis 
 lo not 
 
 is all 
 ilcolin 
 3 too 
 
 you 
 
 fectly 
 
 J are 
 
 fond 
 
 like 
 thing 
 
 will 
 
 lever 
 war 
 the 
 
 Q to 
 
 b to 
 :)f a 
 on't 
 
Pagk H'A 
 
NINA TlIK ISniRllKiiril.E. 
 
 8S 
 
 ' «'i| 
 
 r.';'''";r ;'"■ "'" «■• •" ■■ i<-» ^o . n,,,., ,,„,p 
 
 like l'iv.l-,]„ y.,11, Xi,,,, '■ ' 
 
 '''■"'■'"'"'■'■'' ■--«■,.,,,! Ni,„>; ■„t lo,..,t not 
 
 y"t. .si„. « ill „r,,,. ,, u„„. „,„, ,1,,^ ^^.,1 ,_^^^. , i^^^^^^^^i 
 
 ""-'■^' ■'""' "■'■>■ '"'"■ ">y'l. 1 <i...it (i,inl< y.,i, 
 
 "".«!" t» ■!" il, Nil,., a,„l 1 ,i„„'t think I .„„,|,t ,„ 
 
 :"";■ ;*: "' ""■■■ '-■"■ «•- w„„m ,,„t . .;, „ 
 
 '""" l,ave l,,...„ ,,|ki„,, ,„„, „,. say sla. o„«l,t to 
 know. 
 
 Nina's face tnrn.cl n little pale now. SI., reflected 
 tor a moment; tlu., s),,. remarked quietly 
 
 'Von can tell nH.flH.r, or course; the only dillbrenco 
 -H be that r ',,„..„ sp.ak to any or vou then. 
 ^.." and the Frer..s ean he frhnds^reat friendn; 
 nnd the Dark Rosaleen shall 1. your leader; and I 
 wo.U, speak to you, ami I w.^n't come home in the 
 sunnner. nor at Christn^as. I .-ill stay in London 
 '^nd for^^et that I have .ot hrothers and a sister' 
 Mother can con.e to s..e n,e up there sometimes I 
 ^ViU never couk^ back; that is all. You have got to 
 l^ave a split ^v^th me ir you have not with the 
 Freres; that's all.' 
 
 Kenneth's face looked horrified. Nina uttered her 
 
i 
 
 1 1 
 
 m 
 
 ®* NINA THE INCORRIOIRLE. 
 
 cruel words without tho snmllest change of colour 
 without the leaat attempt at incJifyinK the,.,. There 
 was a detcr,nined expreasio,i in the curve of that 
 short and exquisitely-cut upper lip of hers; there 
 waH a d.ter.nined expression in her big hluo eyes • 
 her colour l,eea,ne ,nore vivid and n,orc lovely than 
 uma\ ; ar,d she gave a slight defiant, and yet abso- 
 ll^toly co,nposed, gesture with her haughty little 
 
 'You know I cannot give you up/ said Kenneth; 
 you know what you are to me. You are the 
 eldest of us all, and I have always, always loved 
 you. *^ 
 
 'Oh, I know, Ken, dear old boy; „d «o have I 
 loved yon. Of cou..,o yon cannot ^ive n,„ ■,„ Tl,i, 
 wont last long, Kenneth. Let ,„e l,ave u.y way 
 Believe me, I am in the right.' 
 
 •I hate it,' said Kenneth. 'Are you quite, ouite 
 sure you won't' ' ' 
 
 ■Yield to that little girl?' cried Nina. 'No Kon 
 You^ would not respect me if I did-now, would' 
 
 'Ohl you would coa. anything out of a fellow,' 
 replied the boy. 
 
 'I wo„M_l would,' she answered in a tone of 
 tn«-nph. She ran up to her brother, put her soft 
 arms round his neck, and kissed him. 
 
^'^\ Till.; iNnnuuuiui.K. ^g 
 
 '<^'<Ji>io out f„r a wall; ul.l. ■ . 
 for,rottho Fn... y """' ■^'''" ""''• '^^'^ 
 
 wouM ,ou, W " ^""^'^ "^'^•^- ^-"<<' -^ 
 
 ;lwouMn'M..cnu.soIeouMn't; but all,, 
 It's boastly unfair' ovnl • , . *'"" '''^'^"'o. 
 
 J mran, oxolanuod the hoy. 
 
 ^«ver niin.l wlL-tl,,.,. \r , - 
 take uj„l|y stroll; it is siir-l, . ^' ^' 
 
 "'■™ 1.0 .„t !;, ^":""'""'«-'" Kenneth tl,.t 
 "I'm ever. Wlien w i i . """■<•' 
 
 '-Ke„ne«;i:::j-7-'''.i-..™ 
 
 ^c s JViiias wav Tlw.,.. 
 
 ''W.,n„.„noo„,,L!°J:;"""«-'^^''''''-^ 
 
 Tiion you mean to subn.it ? ' cried M,l„ I 
 -« not .oing to toll mother ..'■"• '^°'' 
 .isil..""""- ' "'""" ^i"'' - Nina, „, „,„ 
 
 w ,ot to tl' ^r =r; """™.'' ^'»'-"- wo 
 
 ha 
 
 It 'a horrid ; but 
 
 take her side, to see thij 
 
 the Freres must under 
 
 thing through. 
 
 stand. 
 
86 
 
 MNA THE INCOUUUill'.LE. 
 
 Malcolm looked ahuo.st a.s gluoiny us Kenneth luid 
 done an hour before. 
 
 'I wish she had never come back,' lie cried. 
 
 ' No ; do not say that. There never was her ec^ual 
 — never. It will come right, yon 'II see.' 
 
 In the Frere family there were also many com- 
 ments witli regard to tlio picnic of the next day. 
 Invitations had come in Nina's handwriting for each 
 of the children. A delightful picnic was in view, 
 and yet their hearts were heavy. Prue and Patty 
 were never tired of talking the thing over. They 
 talked it np and down, and round and round, and 
 inside oi,t and outside in; they talked at it and of 
 it, from every possible point of view; and always, 
 always, the two little girls came back to the same 
 resolution: that they must stick up for Rosaleen, 
 and that Rosaleen was certain, as certain as that 
 day followed night, not to give in. 
 
 Rosaleen liorself was very busy and important. 
 She had got over her first passion, and was rather 
 inclined to pride herself on the very distinguished 
 jiosition she was now occupying in the family. 
 
 'It depends on me,' she said, turning to Amy; 'it 
 depends altogether on me whetlier we two families 
 are talking to each other and loving each other, or 
 are grim and .silent and liating each other worse than 
 poison, after this time to-morrow. You had better 
 
 
NINA THK INCORIlIoinLE. 
 
 87 
 
 (|ual 
 
 bo pleasant to mo, Amy, for you 'II luivo vory littlo 
 of anybody elso to talk to durino- ull the years that 
 aro to come. It's a fcud-that's what I call it; it's 
 an awful, terrible feud; and I could prevent it, hut 
 I won't. ])o you think these knees of nnne will 
 bend ? No, not for a hundred Nina Carlincrfords 
 But I am goin^^ .o be very, very particular what I 
 wear at the picnic to-morrow; and, Amy, you must 
 uphold me, and nlways let me get well to the front 
 and you must be a trifle dow.ly to-morrow, Amy.' ' 
 'Oh, but why?' aske.l Amy. 'I am always very 
 particilar about my dress. I like to be so neat, my 
 hair brushed so smooth, and my boots and gbves 
 and everything so perfect.' 
 
 'Oh, you wcie never born a child!' said Rosaleen 
 m a voice of passion. 'What with your spellimr 
 and your neatnesses, I'm sure I'm going to have 
 an awful time. I pity myself terj-ibly. I wouldn't 
 yield, not for anything; but I do pity myself. 
 You're an awful oil maid of a little sister. You 
 were never meant to be married, and you were 
 never meant to have any fun, and were' born as 
 oM— as old as Old Peter, whom we see when we 
 go to the country. You're ten years old in years, 
 but in your face and in your ways you're eighty; 
 you're eighty, and you're old for eighty — th.at 's 
 what you are.' 
 
88 
 
 NINA THE INCOUIIKJIBLE. 
 
 Hero llosaloon turned on her heel and marched 
 out of the room. 
 
 The next day arose brilliantly, and all the 
 children prepared for tlie great expedition. They 
 were to drive themselves. No servants and no 
 grown-up people wore to interfere. The Carlincrford 
 
 to 
 
 pony-carriage would hold all the Carlingfords. Nina 
 was to drive, and Kenneth was to sit beside her 
 on the box. Inside the carriage Fied, Peach, and 
 Malcolm were to disport themselves. 
 
 The Freres' governess-cart would hold tlie four 
 children, Patty driving the pony. They were to 
 meet outside the Carlingfords' house, and were to 
 start sharp at eleven. The picnic baskets were 
 packed and the children were ready. Rosaleen was 
 the last to come downstairs. 
 
 Rosaleen had attired herself with great care for 
 this festive day. She had coaxed their own special 
 maid, Ellen, to wash her hair on the previous night, 
 and then to crimp it ; and, being already very thick 
 and very black, it now stood out round her little 
 person like a huge mane. It reached below her 
 waist, and was so fuzzy and tremendously thick 
 that it almost hid her shoulders. She a<lmired hor 
 hair immensely, and exclaimed, pulling forward a 
 lock as she spoke, and glancing at Amy : 
 
 'I am like Samson: my strength is in my hair. 
 
89 
 
 NINA THE INCORRIGIBLE. 
 
 You^don, suppose a pc.on like ,„e „i„ bend. N^ 
 A,ny sighed. By R„,„,ee„., ji^.jj^^^ 
 
 W ventured to put on „ „ew hat. Ro.s ,eo„ nl 
 glanced at it critically 
 
 ^J^;«;-a„nt;.,,.e...d..o«.t,e.,. o„„., 
 
 'But the felt i.5 so si,.,!,],,,. „ ■ , , 
 wet .so often in the winter.' " 
 
 •On with the felt; ordered Rosaleen. .Jfy little 
 e™..s„„ eap won't sl,„w off „„,..,,, you are sLhhy 
 and „y ernnsou cloak and ll„ek velvet frock an 
 
 V « do very well in ,ray ; you re not seen ,„uch 
 ™le..s you are close. That s all right. Now then 
 oome along. I look like the Queen of thj Gi Ls' 
 to-day—don't I?' "'psies 
 
 Rosaloen certainly did look particularly handsome 
 and An,y, as sho followed her, said to iLelf. 
 ■Dear, dea., what trial,, there are in the 'world 
 
 Kosalecn kind!' 
 
PO 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE Dl!;CLA RATION. 
 
 i <i 
 
 |HE Carlingfords took the lead as they 
 drove to Morland Towers; the Freres, 
 however, were only a few paces behind 
 them. At last they reached their des- 
 tination. The Towers was one of the show-places 
 in tlie noi(,dil)ourhood. It was a very old biiildinc 
 <lating back from the time of the Normans. It 
 had a moat and a drawbrido^«>, and there were 
 grounds surrounding it, and walls, and gates which 
 were generally locked. 
 
 The two carriages drew up outside the gates, and 
 the custodian came forward and unlocked them. 
 Kenneth paid the neces.sary fee for admission, and the 
 little party went in. Under special conditions people 
 were allowed to picnic in the old ruins, and Kenneth 
 and Nina now made arrangements with the custodian 
 for this 
 
 purpose. As the days wo:o not too war 
 
 m 
 
'HIE DECLARATION. 
 
 91 
 
 up to the present. Nina suo-gosted that they should 
 use one of the stone roon.s. an.l ,she further pronnsed 
 that she would supply the.n with plates and spoons 
 and knives and forks. This, after a little d..,uur 
 was arranged; and then the children, in solemn' 
 procession, went round the ruins. They had seen 
 them many ti.nes before; but that did not matter 
 A picnic was a picnic, the fascination of being away 
 from home several miles without a single grown-up 
 person had also its charm; but above all other excite- 
 ments was the thought of that moment which was to 
 tollow the picnic feast. 
 
 They had just got inside the first thick Norman 
 arch, when Nina, who looked very handsome in 
 ^Jark blue, and a neat little sailor-hat, turned round 
 and solemnly held out her hand to Rosalcen. 
 
 'How do you do?' she said, and bending forward 
 to the little girl's astonishment and disgust, kissed 
 her on her lips. 
 
 ' ^^elcome. Rosalecn,' she said : ' let us be happy 
 Willie we may. You come with me. Rose. You 
 have seen these r.iins before; you shall sec them 
 with me to-day.' 
 
 Rosaleen coloured crimson, and felt very much 
 inclined to say 'No;' but Prue whispered to her: 
 
 'It's Pax, you know; we must be friendly until 
 the rio'ht moment comes.' 
 
Iff 
 
 I, ' i 
 
 ^2 THE DECLARATION. 
 
 'Oh, all right, if that's tho way,' said Rosaleen. 
 Slio shook her thick .nane of hair, and walked on 
 in front with Nina. Tho little girl and the tall one 
 looked rather funny as they walked aide by side. 
 Tho rest of the Carlingfords and Freres gazed after 
 them with apprehension. 
 
 'I suppose,' exclaimed Pruo, turning to Kenneth, 
 'when we are going back to-night we won't bo 
 speaking.' 
 
 'Oh, it's horrid! Don't let us talk of it,' replied 
 Kenneth. 
 
 ' Very well,' answered Pruo ; ' but I should like to 
 toll you -now. Ken, and you, Malcolm, and all tho 
 rest of you Carlingfords, that Patty a^id I and Amy 
 have no bad feelings towards you ; in fact, we are 
 fonder of you than ever.' 
 
 'I am fit to cry about it,' said Patty; and she 
 sat down on the nearest stone, and tears tilled her 
 pretty brown eyes. 
 
 'I do wish Nina had never come back,' she cried. 
 'We were quite satisfied with our own Dark Rosa- 
 leen. Why should oui- lives be made wretched just 
 because Nina has come back ? ' 
 
 ' Oh, it 's not that,' said Kenneth gloomily. ' Nina 
 and I had a talk over tho thing yesterday, and she 
 seems to think sho is doir.g Rosalocn an inestimable 
 service.' 
 
THE DECLARATION. 
 
 93 
 
 •I don't know wl.at "inestimable" quite means' 
 replied Patty. 
 
 'Oh, I do/ said Amy, now coming forward; 'it's 
 in my spelling-list. Can you spell it, Patty i Would 
 you like to try?' 
 
 'Not a bit,' cried Patty. 'Oh, do go „tf with your 
 spelling. An.y! Well, all I can ..y is, I wi.sh Nina 
 was not so particular about our Rosaleen's character 
 We would nmch rather she didn't do her a service, 
 Ken.' 
 
 Putty and Prue talked a little longer, and then 
 tliey examined the ruins side by side. 
 
 Meanwhile Rosalcen was listening to Nina. Nina 
 was making herself intensely agreeable. She was 
 bnnging out all that fund of fascination and charm 
 which she so largely possessed. 
 
 'Don't let us think about the afternoon, Ro.saleen,' 
 she said. 'Let the afternoon take care of itself. 
 r>o you know, I admire you so much; you are so 
 awfully handsome?' 
 
 'Am I?' said Ro.salecn, bridling. 'Well, I have 
 thought so myself; but mother says when I am 
 in my best things I look dcwnright ugly. Do 
 you think it is because I am specially handsome 
 that she says it in order t.. keep me from being 
 conceited ? ' 
 
 Nina could not help laughing. 
 
94 
 
 THE DECLARATION. 
 
 I' 
 
 'Well, that may })o your rnothor's opinion,' she 
 replied. ' I am not callod to say whether slie is ritrht 
 or wron<r; but I think you handsome; and when 
 you are ^n-own-up you may ho beautiful. Yon could 
 he grand cxevy way, Ilo.saleen— every way.' 
 
 'Don't begin to lecture,' cried Rosaleen, 'because I 
 cai 't boar it. I would like to bo the handsomest 
 girl in all the plaCe, an<l to have everybo.ly looking 
 at me, and jealous 'cos oJ mo. I don't want to bo 
 a good girl— not a bit.' 
 
 Nina gave her a comical glance. 
 'You think,' she remarked after a moment's pause, 
 'that people will make a great fuss about you if 
 you are naughty ? You are greatly mistaken ; people 
 like good girls. Good, handsome girls can have a 
 splendid time; but I am not going to lecture. 
 May I toll you some of the funny stories tliat 
 happened at my school in Brussels ? ' 
 
 ' Oil, please ! ' said Rosalecn. ' Arc they the sort 
 of stories that make your hair stand up?' 
 'Horrors, you mean?' 
 
 ' They can't bo too horrid,' cried Rosaloen. ' I hate 
 tame stories. I like goblins, and I like their faces 
 to^ be awful wicked ; and T like sprites and wicked 
 fairies. I have such fun at night frightening Amy. 
 Amy will do anything for mo if I promise not to 
 frighten her -M. niglit. T)o give me a now story 
 
THR DEfLARATFON. 
 
 Amy : 
 
 ^ n,.,l over .v.ny; ,t wn, oo u r,,oat, ^reat con.fort 
 when I Imvo no one in all the world h,.t her to 
 talk to.' 
 
 Nina gave a sigh. 
 
 -Let us sit down Ikto/ she said. 'I know so.no 
 horrors; you shall have them.' 
 
 She made up the stories as she went along, and 
 Rosaleen listened with hated breath and crimson 
 cheeks. They continued their walk together, and 
 Rosaleen had to own to herself that, when she was 
 not hating Nina with all her heart and soul and 
 ■strength, she was having a very good time. 
 
 ' When I forget to hate her I am sort of con.fort- 
 uble,' she admitted to herself; 'but when I look at 
 bor and remember all, it is awful, awful.' 
 
 At last the other children sunnnono.l the two .-ing- 
 lea.lcrs to the feast, which was prepared in an oM 
 room in which William the Conque2-or was supposed 
 to have dined. The walls, coiling and all, were of 
 .solid stone; the windows were destitute of glass, and 
 the spring air came softly through them. Ivy i„ 
 thick masses hung over the window. ; and the chil- 
 dren sat in a curious kind of bower of ol<l masonry 
 and spring green. The picnic baskets contained 
 delicious food; and, notwithstanding the ordeal 
 which was no- close at h.nd, they were all 
 .sufficiently hungry to enjoy the feast. They sat 
 
! .", 
 
 96 
 
 mixed up t(jgotl 
 
 TJIE DECLARATION. 
 H;r, as Pruo was 
 
 ,. , fond of sayiD/j 
 
 attervvards. 
 
 'Juxt,' P.»o «Hod to relate, 'a,, if we wore friend, 
 tur all our lives. There wa,. Ken «ittin. next to n,e 
 ^'".1 Malcoln, next to Patty, and helping her so' 
 n.cely to the very choicest bits; and An.y ,,croo.>ed 
 up clo.se to Fred; and Peach, an.l Nina, and even 
 llosaleen chatting and laughing, and sharing the 
 ™nei>l„te.s. Oh ! we were jolly ; and „.o cracked 
 jokes, and we had all kind.s of nu.n.ories goin, about. 
 it 'X ahvay,, oNciting when you begin to say, "Don't 
 you re.uember?" and we had a whole lot of "Don't 
 you remembers?" during that pienie fea.st But 
 we none „f „s .„Ud a wor,] about what we were to 
 do .n the future. We none of us ventured to .say 
 "Don't yon think we might?" Oh! it i, ,,„ „,.„ij' 
 mg when you begin to .say, "Don't you think we 
 ndght?" It was all "Don't you remember? Don't 
 you remember?" Oh! it was a lovely, exciting, 
 wonderful tin.e. It was all too short-all too short ' 
 The inen.c feast came to an end. Even the oran.es 
 and bananas were cons,„„ed, to the very last portL 
 of the orange and the very last scrap of the banana. 
 Even the dessert bi.scnits wore finished to the final 
 crumb. And then Nina gk„>e,.l round her and 
 said : 
 
 'Whore sliall we o-o ? Tf ;.. 4^-,. r ., 
 
 WL iro It IS tune for the council 
 
THE DKCI.AIIATIO.V. 
 
 Sllymg 
 
 97 
 
 of W.U. t„ ,it; it i, ei,„o fW „« ,, oo,„o to a 
 
 Yo. „„ tI,o youngct; you sl.all „„ve tl.o choice/ 
 iliunk yo..; roplied Ko.saIoen. 
 •It fool., awfully like a dud/ «,id ,>,„, .j 
 v™..iMI,.oou,„tto.„.,eco„.l. ItW™,,„y 
 
 •O'.. 'lon'tr „.|..Vro.l Patty, a f,„, „, ■; j 
 would lur»t out c.-yi„. i„ a miuuto/ 
 'Then, if you ,|o,' cxclai.ned A>„y, Tn „„„„,, 
 
 ..pohn, into you fo.t,,o next t,,,.ooL.,tl,.,:;r 
 ever I look at you.' 
 
 'I'll keep back ,ny tear,, mthor than undergo that 
 pun..h,„e„t; was Patty» spirited .-eply 
 
 Ro.,alee„ ..„ out for a .no.nont to look around 
 
 «pnng flowers were con.ing out; there were 'ot, of 
 pnmrases m a lovely dell at one side of the old 
 g.-ound,,; there was a grassy sward there too The 
 gra^s was very dry; there had not been ruin for a 
 long time. 
 
 •I have found the exact place,' cried Eosaleen, 
 one ran back. 
 
 N^na took her hand. They went together, in front 
 of the others, down to the gras.,y knoll 
 
 ■Don't you think you're an awful little goose »■ 
 ™to!!™'i:f :? ^' '--f- 'It -ts with you; 
 
98 
 
 I Jit; J)i;<:LAUATf«>N. 
 
 I'l ! 
 
 I 
 
 hi 
 
 you have a ch,i,.co yvt. VV.II, | won't nay any 
 "lore, ;uul I oiiolit nut to Hay ovn. that.' 
 
 Rosalmi'H eyes llashcl, an.l .she pnllo.! horHolf 
 to-other. An.l now uU tho Carlin^fords stood on 
 one H.do of the giussy .swur,|, and fVon. six to 
 .seven feet away tJ.e four Frercs ntationed the.u- 
 selves. 
 
 Nina now came forward, and bockonrd Rosaleen 
 to do tho .same. Nina stood a foot or two in front 
 of her .sister and brothers. 
 
 Peach loncrod for the <,n-ound to open and swallow 
 licr up. She felt that she nuist rush at An.y and 
 hug her; that she nnist clasp Pnie round the neck 
 and Patty round the neck ; that she could not <nve 
 them up. ^ 
 
 Kenneth and Malcolm now looked the one at the 
 other. 
 
 'It i.s all the most horrid rot,' th.M^ thou^^ht- but 
 nevertheless Kenneth went and stood jnsl behind 
 Nma. Fred turned whiter and whiter. 
 
 'Come out here. Fred,' ordered Nina; 'you stand 
 just there. Now, Rosaleen, are you ready ? ' 
 
 ' I am,' replied Rosaleen. She caught Iier crimson 
 ^ P ^nd flung it on the grass; the breeze took up 
 AC. jet-bla.l hair and blew it about her head, 
 xlomleen panted and struggled, and unfastened her 
 little cloak, and it fell from her shoulders. Never 
 
 
'•'UK l)i;r(,.\itA'noN. .^jj 
 
 w.«u„„„.,,ic.t,„«,„u-l„uki„,,,„il,| ,,,.,.,„..,, Xi„„ 
 l""l<e.i, t„„, j„Ht „, |„m,I,M„„„ i„ I,,,. „„y 
 
 , '^"" '"""' "'" """>'^'"'". U«s,Un..n; ,lu, sm,| 
 Veil comiiiitk'd ii i;,vat iniii^n... . 
 
 t .IHI n„t ..„ a,„„t ,„, „„„ „.^,^, . y 
 
 bop,,,..., r.W,ivo ...... Tl„.t i. .„, i „.L„; 
 
 «"■! wo «l.all go b„ek H,o ,„.p,,i,,t „„j ,„„,, ,„ . ' 
 "■"..- .n the worKl, „„„ „,, „,„ „,„„ „„ ,^^^. 
 lot ,.f you. Tl,„t U what yo„ l.avo .-ot to do ' 
 
 "t tl »ky. f,,,„ „.,,^ j„.^,^^„^,,. ^^^ ^ P 
 
 wo- t,.,t Ni, ,„,, „,,., She „.„.s »,.,U,,,te„- ,; 
 
 hor Ic.jp unt.l they f„lt lik„ two m.nrods 
 
 • Knocs • a,o wl,i«per„, „„,,.r |,„, |,,,„t,, , j ^ 
 no knee, fel.e was thinking a tl,o„sand tl,..„.W,-s 
 ana they wore ,„o»tly coneen.od with ho. p^oud 
 httlo self and he,- glowing hlack eye., contLcJ 
 to look at the sky. 
 
 ■Yo,, know what .vill happen if you rofu.so,' said 
 N., a ; and now her voice w.« „h„o.,t pleading. " Wo 
 W.11 have a battle_an open battle-we Carlingford. 
 
 r"* ^-^ '•'^"'- - ««J» against you Evens. 
 You ca,. go you,. ow,> way, and wo will go ou.-s 
 
 dunngalUhe future of our lives; hut neve "neve.- 
 never shall we love each other again, „r speak tJ 
 
100 
 
 THE DECLARATION. 
 
 
 I 
 
 oach otl,or again, or l.ave d.aling., one witi, tho 
 othc. until yon, Eosaloon. bend you. pronj knees 
 aiKl confess your sin.' 
 
 Eosaloon still ga.od up at the sky. She had now 
 closed her small brown hands; there was a twinkling 
 ook of mischief and n,erriment in her cyos. She 
 d.d not seen, at all grieved nor at all di.nayed 
 at the awful prospect of the break between the 
 Oarlingfords and the Frcres. 
 
 •Of course our mother and your father and mother 
 are not to know,' cried Nina; • but we chil,h-o„ will 
 feel ,t^ There is to be war unless you yield. Now 
 then, Rosaleen?' 
 
 -There is to be war!' c.claimed Ro.,aIeen, dropping 
 her eyes all of a sudden, and fixing them with a 
 gx;eat glow of triun,ph, and almost of malice, on 
 Nn>as face; -for I will never bend n.y knees, 
 and I will never say I am sorry. There is to be 
 war ! ' 
 
 There was a deep silence after Ros.leen had 
 spoken. 
 
 ■Is that your flrn. resolve? Arc you certain ?' 
 asked N„>a; and there was more pleading than 
 ever m her tones. 
 
 •I am as positive as that I am alive,' replied 
 Rosaleen; and she turned and walked quickly away 
 all by herself. J' ^^y 
 
THE DECLARATION 
 
 Even Nina uttoed a .sh„,, «,-.,, 
 i^ifctlo ffooso." slio exclaimed " .fi'dl if , 
 loam iier lesson sho .n„.f a^ "'"' '""■^' 
 
 a.o not to L,., to " ''""' '''■■•''•"■«'• «'" 
 
 - - - "% -.;; : if r:r^ - - 
 
 -»P-"„, an3.t„in;;. L", '"•^7;" -'• P^-'t-s 
 ""■" ovo.. ,„, ,, J,^., ;7;'^ -=;" -"ffcent, X 
 of this warf-ire ■ n 1 '"'P ""^ ™'™ 
 
 -"iW eonfaet. To „i h K T" "" '" " 
 
 '"••™ "p the m :„ : of t '■" "' ' "■"' 
 
 bogun between t„e Odd! „„ t ! 7' ''''"' "" 
 
 make two conies nn / ^™''- ^o will 
 
 the .„ ^.- "'' >'"" "'"1 0™ for US To 
 
 tlie conditions of tjjis «•..,. ^° 
 
 solemn promise tli! n" """' ■"""'•'' "■"'^° our 
 
 Prouuse that wo will UitWMy adhere.' 
 
102 
 
 
 IL 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A K I S S F II O ]M MOTH E It. 
 
 jRE Fi-eros staifced for home ten minutes 
 before tlio Carlinnfoids. I'he Frere.s 
 were .silent all the way home. Even 
 Amy was too depressed to offer any 
 spellin<T suggestions. Rosaleen, however, held lier 
 proud little head very high, shook out her thick 
 mane, and regarded her subjects, as she now 
 considered the rest of the Frere children, with 
 marke.1 disapproval. As they were entering the 
 town she spoke for the first time. 
 
 'Well, I'd have more spirit,' said Rosaleen. •! 
 wouldn't sink so utter as you're doing. If it's 
 war, it ought to be war with spirit. What's tlio 
 use of being so angry? We can get on without 
 those horrid Carlingfords.' 
 
 Still the others did not reply; and Rosalein glanced 
 at them anxiously. 
 
it's 
 1 the 
 :hout 
 
 103 
 
 A KISS FROM MOTHER. 
 'What is that in vonr o..n ? ' i 
 
 "^ nei attentively. 'A fr.n,. i' « • i 7-. ^ 
 
 nnss, that you will hou.^ ,r^ i ' 
 
 a week is L; ' " '""^' ™^ "'"' ^=f- 
 
 •Oh win y„„,. ,„,„.^,,„^ p^^^,^^_^ _ 
 
 to , """' '" "'°"'"'' "^o"' »-*"." you 
 
 ^T °- ^™ '-"-""•« '00 .m.eh of /o„ 
 
 own way, m,.,,s; thnfs what you arc' 
 
 ou;?;!::;/'"-'^--'- "'"-''-,.„,„„ 
 
 'I can't help it,' said Rosaleon. 'I ,„ hnff ^ 
 
 pons that Pnff.. ,-. throvvino. 
 
 with 
 
 at me. I don't think P 
 
 itty i.s much of 
 
 an 
 
 ally. I 
 
104 
 
 A KISS FROM MOTHER. 
 
 1/ I' ' 
 
 f. -^; 
 
 have been reading up all about battle., and those on 
 your side stick to you.' 
 
 'Of cour.se we'll stick by you, you little bit of 
 an oddity,' returned Patty; 'but we are shocked 
 and disgusted all the same.' 
 
 They entered the house in such extremely low 
 sim.ts that Mrs Frere asked in some alarm if any 
 of the httle party were ill. 
 
 'Oh no,' answered Patty; 'we are quite well' 
 'I have not the slightest doubt/ remarked Mrs 
 Frere, ' that you have been eating something unwhole- 
 son^. I really must speak to n.y dear friend, Mrs 
 Carhngford, about the sort of food she gives you 
 It IS not suitable for young people.' 
 
 'We had a perfectly 'licious meal,' said Rosaleen- 
 'and you need not speak about it, mother, 'cos we're' 
 not gomg to get ill ; and there will be nothing that 
 the Carhngfords give us in the future that could 
 make us ill.' She ran away as she spoke. 
 
 ' How handsome Rosaleen looks ! ' said Mrs Frere • 
 'but. all the same, I think her eyes are too bright' 
 and when I kissed her just now her lips were hot' 
 I do trust the child has not taken a chill.' 
 
 'I tell you what it is, mother,' said Prue; 'Rosa- 
 leen ought to go to school.' 
 
 'To school, dear Prue? But she does go to 
 school.' 
 
 m i 
 
 
on 
 
 105 
 
 'O'Umc,,,, „ ve,v,c.v 
 "^Plied Pruo. .Si, ■; ■ \". '"''*' "^ ''"'inlinjr-.selioo!,' 
 
 I'or own.' =""'"« '«> ■>'"'•'. a will of 
 
 'Now, my <,^„, p,,„|,.„^^ 
 'wd on your littlo ,si,t„,. p , ' '''"" "■■" 'I'"'*'- 
 
 "'0 wannct l.eart i„ """ ''"■' «''« '■■■'^ 
 
 7^weo.,,oo,r '.:.r:', i^™-"- 
 
 ^''^■•e she co„I,| „„t eo,„„ r ''' '° ■■' ^^''°°' 
 
 ^™^ *d not .y :;": r --^ -<»,,- 
 
 ■"-' »tauncl, eonditj of L ! T ""' °' "- 
 P»«nt^ of 61,0 conf.nl- '"''' *'"" "'<= 
 
 "-i». -0. e,;rr::^,r:: "°"'^ '- 
 
 tl'cm. She p,e.„„tlv left , '"''""'"S ''^'>^«™ 
 
 V Patty; a„d „,.,-' ;; '-oom, accompanied 
 
 moment, went upstai,.^ ,n ;, '=™*''d''ri.>g for a 
 
 younger children wol pi"'. '"''"' '^''^ '""^ two 
 -. An,y was tryinJlT'"',"'™' ''^■""■'-"'''t 
 boolc,, before her 111 '"""" ''^'■•^' «'- ^ad her 
 - -^er own ii;r ^/:;X.- -al. There 
 
 toWe. and l,er own pen , . , '^'°""«-P»P^^ on the 
 -d her copybook 2 T ''"' '""'^ "' -k, 
 
 ^■"/-opybook.ahCiyt'''"^™'^''-*' 
 «'"" abo equal model^ of neat, "''""'^^"''ooka 
 
 Writing even and nuite e ''' "" "°'^' ">e 
 
 ^''-P and to the pit l:;?^! ""'^ -'-e. 
 
 Ainys teachers adored her. 
 
lOG 
 
 A KISS FROM MOTHER. 
 
 Who would not adore «uch a specially good little 
 girl ? Sho wa,s conning her .spoiling and lookin.. 
 with pride at l.or last French exercise when her 
 niotlier came in. 
 
 Rosalccn, without any hooks before her, was lean- 
 ing her two elbows on the table at the opposite 
 side. She was staring gloomily at Amy. 
 
 ' Well, my darling.' said the mother as she entered 
 the room; 'busy as usual. That's right. Ah my 
 dear little Amy ! you are making nice progress, so 
 your teachers tell me. It is very good of you, dear, 
 to prepare your lessons through the holidays. You 
 will be nice and forward when term begins.' 
 
 'Weil, mother,' replied Amy. looking up briskly 
 'I cannot possibly be idle; at least not to-night.' 
 'And why not to-niglit, dearest?' 
 'Oh, nothing,' cried Amy. 
 
 'Tell-tale-tit,' whispered Rosalcen, in a hoarse 
 tragic voice, from her side of the table. 
 •I haven't toM,' answered Amy. 
 Mrs Frero was a wise enough mother never to 
 intrn<le into family secrets which were not meant 
 for her ears. She recognised the fact that children 
 have their own world, into which, if they are really 
 and thoroughly to enjoy it, and get the good of it 
 no grown-ups ought ever to enter. She did not 
 inquire, therefore, with regard to Rosaleen's mys- 
 
A KISS FllOM MOTHER. jq^ 
 
 torious words, but, ]ooI<i„. fu„ .,, f|.. j-fM • .' 
 said: " "''^ ^''"^ '^<^tIo cru-l 
 
 'Amy is (juito ri<.ji(, T..i-.n i • 
 j.-nf,! ' '"'^''"« nlmost ii.unc- 
 
 <l"^toIy; youo„.ht to l,o K.okino- ,,,. vom- i 
 
 '01> no. ...other,' answered Rosuleen. She shook 
 her head as she spoke 
 
 J; ■""'""'■' ™™-«' ^''-'- 'iw,„.eto,o 
 
 sa,!!" *"'■ "'""■ "■'■^' -^ -^ "-T... thin, .„ 
 
 •I cannot help it, mother. Thevo is every sort of 
 wickedness I could do,' continued Rosaleen I o 
 
 -'] '- "^^"" •'■■««'<-"y eyes at ,n.r :;,;*;;:: 
 
 «poko, .except the wiekodno.,. of teli,„„ ,C 
 
 ;""""' "■" " «"• -' t v,.„n-t. If , ,„.„rpr.,endo, 
 
 '>«>'ttern, .t wo„l,H,e a n,«nsf,-o„s M,,.k- l,V a? 
 ""Sht he able to tell it, l.nt I eonldn't ' ' 
 
 ■ I m„ sure,- excIain,edAn,y,.,.„„Ve horrid unkin, 
 o .ne Mother, I wish y„„ .,ou,d stop her. It i , 
 
 'It is very unfair 
 Mrs Fr 
 
 ere. 'Come }ieie, I 
 
 and extrcmelj- naughty,' said 
 
 , -itusaieen. 
 
'> 5- 
 
 if 
 
 1 AO 
 
 A KISS FJlOiM MOTHER. 
 
 Mz-3 Frero sat down i„ a low cl.air. Ro.sal.on 
 approaeliocl her unwillingly. W.,. hor inotl.or ^oinc. 
 to scold? Int,.„th, the little ,,1,-1 .roatly adnmvd 
 lier own conduct, and was n.ueh disnmy.d by tl.o 
 attitude which her three sisters had no.^ ass.nncd 
 towards her. If her n,other was ^oing io assume 
 tbe sanie attitude, and to scold her for what, after 
 al , she did not think at all wron. her heart, she 
 telt, would break. 
 
 'Oh mummy!' she began; and she raised pleading 
 eyes to her mother's face. '^ 
 
 In reply, Mrs Frere held out her arms and 
 clasped the child to her heart. 
 
 'Oh mummy, now that is 'licions!' cried the Dark 
 Rosaleen. Mrs Frere smoothed back her hair an<l 
 kissed her for two or three minutes. Only little 
 ^u'ls like Rosaleen know, and only mothers like Mrs 
 Frere know, what immense comfort there is in that 
 sort of caress. It is fifty times better than solid 
 words; it is a thousand times better than punish- 
 n.ent. It seems to wipe out the naughtiness with 
 a cool and soothing liand. It seems to arrano-e 
 the disordered thoughts; to give fresh courage, fresh 
 hope. 
 
 'Oh mummy! oh mummy!' gasped Rosaleen. 
 'My little girl will try to be good,' said Mrs 
 Frere then. 
 
 1/ 
 
^on 
 
 and 
 
 A KISS J'llOM MOTHER. iqq 
 
 'Oh mummy!' 
 
 •Littl. .laWins, I won't ask yo,, „„y „„„ ..^^ 
 now I k„o„. you will, n,y child; I ,<„„„ 
 Will. -^ 
 
 Mrs Frere got up; Rosaleen stoorl silent. As 
 the mother was leaving the room she stooped and 
 kissed Amy. and patted her on her smooth head 
 
 'My good, dear little girl!' slie exclaimed. The 
 door closed behind her. The two little sisters 
 glanced at each other. 
 
 'There never was any " one like her,' said Amy 
 Don t you think so, Rose ? ' 
 'Yes,' answered Rose; 'she is filling „p „y 
 
 'What do you mean?' 
 ^ 'I must cry,' replied Rosaleen. «I m„st go out mid 
 have a, good roaring cry, the kind with sobs mid 
 «hrieks now and then. I am going to the farthest 
 end of the garden. Nobody will hrar, and when 
 I come back it will be all right.' 
 •But you will try to be good,' pleaded Amy. 
 •Oh yes, you little bit of neatness and stuck-un- 
 ness; answered Rosaleen. 'I will try to be good 
 But don't you think it is on account of you, and 
 don't you think it is on account of Pattv and of 
 Prue, nor any of those horrid Carlingfords ; it's 
 because of mother.' 
 
110 
 
 A KLSS FROM MOTHER. 
 
 M" 
 
 'Then, pcrlmp.s,' cried Amy, rushing up to her, 
 ' you '11 bond your knee ? ' 
 
 'Bund \tr oxclainiod Rosaloen. 'It's stifFened for 
 over and ever. Don't talk to nio about bendin" 
 I'll bo good, but not that sort of goodness.' 
 
 She ru.shod away, flying through the house in 
 her accustomed style, and out into the garden. 
 
 The garden, as has been already explained, was 
 large, and no one heard Rosaleen's sobs and little 
 shrieks of agony. When, as she expressed it, she 
 had quite emptied her heart, and was cool and 
 composed once more, she retun.ud to the house. 
 She was a very gentle Rosaleen for the rest of that 
 evening. 
 
 ■i,i,i 
 
Ill 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 RULES OF WAR. 
 
 EANWHILE in the Carlingfords' house 
 ^Mna and Kenneth were having a very 
 Lusy time. They were seated together 
 in the room which the boys called 
 their 'den.' Malcolm, Fred, and Peach were other- 
 wise employed. It was thought best that Kenneth 
 and Nina should draw up the articles of war. 
 
 'I never thought it would come to this/ owned 
 Nina; 'bat now that I have begun, it is our bounden 
 duty, Kenneth, to carry the thing through. Rosaleon 
 nnist learn her lesson. She will never i'ortret it. 
 She will be thankful to me all the rest of her 
 life.' 
 
 'I doubt it very much,' said Kenneth; 'but, as 
 you say, Nina, it is begun, and we must go through 
 with it.' 
 
 'Well,' replied Nina, 'let us get out the foolscap 
 
112 
 
 UULE.M (F WAR. 
 
 li I 
 
 iy 
 
 Mil 
 
 paper. Wo have not ten) much time. You know I 
 go to London in two dnyH, and I want to establish 
 the footing on which the Carlinulord. and the Freres 
 are to stand boforo I leave' 
 
 ' All right; answered Ken. Ho took a sheet of 
 paper, dipped a pen in ink, and looked up at his 
 sister. 
 
 • You are ve.y clever, Nina,' he said ; ' and ' 
 
 'And you are bitterly ashamed of me,' cried 
 Nina. 
 
 •I am a Jittle ashamed,' returned Kenneth; 'but 
 I won't say any more.' 
 
 ' Don't,' she answered. She turned her face away 
 for a moment. A brilliant and most lovely colour- 
 ing was dyeing her cheeks; she had never looked 
 more channing, never looked more gentle and 
 womanly. 
 
 'And yet she is making two families thorouc^hly 
 and truly wretched,' thought Kenneth. ' Wiml a 
 queer, queer girl she is! But of course we nmst 
 •stick by her. We would be the meanest of the 
 mean if we didn't.' 
 
 'Now then,' exclaimed Nina, 'the first point to be 
 considered is this: The father and the mothers of 
 the Odds and the Evens must guess nothing. It will 
 therefore be necessary to slightly modify the remark 
 that the Carlingfords and the Freres are not to 
 
liULES OF WAR. jj^ 
 
 speak to each other. U wo carricl out that i.l.a to 
 Its extro.no point our parents woul..l .uess that there 
 was son.ethin. wron. bercro n.any day.s wore over • 
 so. Ken. the first thin^. carefully to dellne i.s what we 
 mean by not spoakin(^/.' 
 
 'Ye.s; replied KOnneth. 'It strikes nu- tl.at it is 
 oxtroinely puzzling.' 
 
 'I 'hm't think so/ answered Nina. 'I (hink we 
 can nmnao-o quite well. Wo speak, of cour.., as 
 lar as outward politeness goes. When a Oarlinc.lo,d 
 meets a Frere, on either side " Good-n.ornincr " ''n.ay 
 be said; or if it is evening, "Good-evening;" but wo 
 are never to shake bands, nor touch one another in 
 any way. If our parents „n either side wish us to 
 mvite the other party to tea, we are to speak in tbe 
 strict conventional tones of utter strangers; wo are 
 to talk about events of the day. It will quite do 
 our politics good,' continued Nina; 'it will brin^r us 
 up in history; it will give us general information.' 
 Her eyes brightened. 'I never thought of that 
 excellent point in connection with our battle,' she 
 added. 
 
 ' Oh, it 's all fudge ! ' said Kenneth. ' I wish you 
 would go on. We are not to speak, and we are to 
 speak. I don't understand.' 
 
 'Put in the rules of the council of war,' said Nina- 
 •yon can word it any way you like-" That we are 
 
 Tim Odds ami iho E 
 
 veils, 
 
 H 
 
114 
 
 RULES OF WAR. 
 
 [3 
 
 
 to speak as seldom as possible, and always on matters 
 of outside interest. Tlio Odds are never to be sorry 
 for the Evens ; the Odds are never to sympathise with 
 tlie Evens; the Odds are never to be kind to the 
 Evens; and just the same on tlie other side." Wo 
 may meet when our parents require it. At scliool, 
 tliose of us who are in the same school— and Peach, 
 you know, is in the same form with Rosaleen and 
 Amy— the same cold outward friendliness must exist ; 
 but that is all. I am going away, as you know, 
 in two da3 s. We will have copies of our rules, which 
 can be added to as we find fresh ideas come to 
 either side; and when I come back in the summer, 
 if nothing has occui-red in the meantime to soften 
 the hard, hard heart of Rosaleen, we shall be obliged 
 to have what I call an open battle. During the 
 term, on both sides, we shall ha extremely busy ; but 
 when the next holidays begin something further 
 must be done to bring things to a decisive issue.' 
 •It is all very gloomy,' exclaimed Kenneth. 
 'I do wish. Ken, now that we liave really started 
 in it, you would take it up with some spirit,' 
 remarked his sister. 
 
 'I can't, for I don't approve,' answered the lad; 
 'but of course I'll stick to you through thick 
 and thin, Nina. But at present it puzzles me 
 immensely.' 
 
RULES OF WAR. 
 
 115 
 
 'So it seems; she added. She then sat down lier- 
 self, took up her pen. and began to write. 
 
 'You can copy this by-and-by. Ken; and you 
 can go away now if you like.' 
 
 'Thanks/ ho answered. Pie rose slowly. 
 Nina was left all aloiie in <tho den.' She looked 
 around her and gave a quick sigh. She was so 
 bright, such a cheery, pleasant, witty sort of .d,] 
 that she very seldom had moments to herself; and 
 now a sense of weight seemed to steal over her 
 spirit and bear it down a little closer to earth She 
 managed to shake it off, to persuade herself that 
 she was doing a very wise and excellent thin<.- and 
 then she rapidly drew up the rules of war. " They 
 were explicit and to the point. There were to be no 
 compromises. Until the holidays the two families 
 were to live in a truly neutral condition. They 
 were only to meet when necessity obliged them to 
 do so. They were to show no friendliness the one 
 to the other, but to be cold and indifferent. At the 
 same time, the Freres were not to speak evil of 
 the Carlingfords, at least to their faces; nor were 
 the Carlingfords to speak evil of the Freres When 
 the summer holidays came, more aggressive measures 
 must be resorted to if the Dark Rosaleen had not 
 by that ti,ne bent her proud knees and humbled 
 her liauglity spirit. 
 
 ( I 
 
}\ ' 
 
 116 
 
 ! ! 
 
 .1 
 
 fpl 
 
 ■ m 
 iJJ 
 
 ^00h II. 
 
 SUMMER HOLIDAYS, 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A STARTLING ARRANGEMENT. 
 
 INA CARLINGFORD had a very good 
 time with her aunt, /Irs Challoner. 
 Mrs Challoner was sufficiently like her 
 mother to cause the girl to regard her 
 almost as a second parent; and so busy was her 
 life, so many things did she learn, so many fresh 
 people did she see, that the home-life and the 
 great battle more or less faded from her view; at 
 least they did not take the foremost place in the 
 horizon of her thouglits. 
 
 The summer holidays were coming on, however 
 —the holidays when she must go home and once 
 more take the lead in hor own family. It is true 
 
A STAUTJJXc; AmiASUEMKST. ^7 
 
 ; r' ':" ;'■"»' ™>^''^ ''-'si't >".ck ,o ti. ov<.nt, 
 
 vlHch l,acl oee.,™,, i„ u,o East,.- „oli„ay., by lotto 
 '■■o™ i- brotho. and .„•„,,■. Tho letter.! wo.o M 
 nu- f„,^of tho ,„a,..o, ,.t.eo„ tho vj,^; 
 
 and thoF™.. Thoro.asa,„o„..„fu,„otei:col 
 ep... lo-a want, as Nina oxp..o.s.,od i, of t„.o ^ 
 
 -w .oh ,„ovod hor o„„.ido..aUy. A» far a.s j 
 ouid nulco out. ),o,veve,., the children at hon>o woro 
 keopmg true to the article., of the council of war' 
 
 »..^ therefore .she could not openly Uan,o then, ' 
 She „,,., in her a.mt's, Mr» ChallonerU pretty 
 
 dra.v.ng-roon. one evening about a week befo.„ tl," 
 ™m,„er hohday., when a long letter from Kenneth 
 waa handed to her. There were one or two gul^ 
 ■n the roou,, and Nina had been .standing by the 
 p.ano aud helping to fill the ehoru, of "son," old 
 
 Mrs Ohalloner was not far off 
 
 ■You n,ay a, well read it, Nina/ ,he remarked. 
 it IS from Kenueth-is it not ? ' 
 'Yes' .she an.,wered ; 'but it can keep for the 
 present, Aunt Julia.' 
 
 •Just as you please, dear,' replied Mrs Challoner 
 Nu,a la. tho etter on the nearest table, and went 
 
 ir M r/'^"""'- ''■"™"^ ''" «>-'' -"' 
 
 »«-> . Mrs Challoner bade her niece good-night, 
 
118 
 
 A STAUTLINU AKltANGKMENT. 
 
 toM l,..r to .„ quickly to bod, ,« „ho was I„„kin,. 
 so.ncwhat ,,alo fr„,n the g.-cat hont, a,„l vva, loaving 
 1.0 roo,„ when «ho su.l.lonly saw Kenneth's letter 
 lyin;,' neglected on a little tal.le. 
 
 'You are forgetting your letter, Nina,' ,,he said 
 
 Are you not fond of your brothers and sister »' 
 
 -Fond of themr cried Nina. 'I an, just devoted 
 
 to then,. But you have been giving me such a nVht 
 
 good ti.ne. Aunt Julia, that I have not thought of 
 
 tlion, every single min.te. I was having a delight- 
 
 «I evening when the letter c.,n,e, and I thought 
 
 I would put oir reading if 
 
 'But why, dear? I letter from your brother 
 cannot fjike from your pleasure.' 
 'Oh ye,s, but it can,' replied Nina, 
 •What do you moan by that, my dear child?' 
 'Well, the fact is,' answered Nina, 'I am bound 
 ." honour not to tell you what is the matter; but 
 we are all in a sort of scrape at homo ' 
 
 'You are all i„ a sort of ,s„,.aper exclaimed 
 Mrs Challoner. "Now, what in the world do you 
 mean?' '' 
 
 'It is true, auntie; and it i,, my fault. At least, 
 I at^rted ,t. I did what I did thinking it right 
 and I m„,st g„ «„ „;«, it now. Of course it is 
 ;-«ht; but ,t is a bother, all the same. T:,e children 
 mstead of being cheerful and gay, and writing me 
 
'» ST.lllTMNfi ARUANdEMENT. ,,9 
 
 sucl, doliyiitful lettore a.s tliov do „. , .. 
 
 booa„otWn,b,, di,.o„to..tTd otltr '" 
 since I loft thorn.' '"■"''' '-"™'' 
 
 'You can searcoly call y„„r bi,, brotho,- KonnctI, 
 
 S:" "k^ ".ueh to soo ,„■,„ bo..o. I b,ond to i vit 
 h.» to spoud somo of t„o Cbri,t,„a, boliday, wit, 
 
 Oh, tha would bo dolyhtfulr eKolai,„od Xina. hor 
 
 It «ouW bo ovor.,o jolly taking bin, round,' 
 
 i think it would dear Wnii , -i, 
 
 as fivod R .1 ' "^ ''^'" ^^^^''^'•^ that 
 
 -s fixed. By the way, you i.avo not heard for a 
 
 on, „„e iron, those ehannin, youn, people, yon 
 special friends, the Freres.' 
 
 Nina felt herself colouring. Her annf - v. . 
 , . "o- ^ei aunt watched 
 
 her m some surprise. 
 
 sj;. ^-' """ """ '» " ^-'' »"^ -M 
 
 ^But you „sod to. You were always hoaring frou, 
 ■.atjua.„t .ttio ,n, P™,,„,, ^,.,,.,^ y_,,;^^^ 
 do not forgot your friend,' name; and when you 
 
 them.' ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^"^ of 
 
 'Well, we don't write- af lflo.4 i 
 
 wxice, at least, we have not 
 
120 
 
 A STAJlTLINMi AHHANGIOMFNT. 
 
 ■1" 
 
 lately,' replied Nina. 'I think I will say ^^ood-ni-ht 
 now, Aunt Ju. I won't forget to take my IctLr 
 with me.' 
 
 When Nina left the room Mr.s Challoncr sat for 
 some time in deep tliought. She had not made her 
 inquiries without reason. She had received a long 
 letter from her sister, not farther off than the 
 afternoon of that same day; in that letter Mrs 
 Carlingford had said: 
 
 'I am much puzzled by my young people just 
 now. They won't confide in me, and I have always 
 made it a rule not to press for their confidence ; but 
 there evidently is a cloud over them. What in the 
 world can it be ? It seems, as far as I can make 
 out, to be associated with Nina. I wish you would 
 get her to talk tlie matter over with you, Julia. 
 Perhaps she might tell you, when she will not 
 confide in her own mother. Do your best, for 
 Kenneth is looking quite thin, and he said to me 
 not an hour ago, "I really do not greatly care 
 whether I get a prize or not at the examination." 
 That is so unlike my dear, brave, manly boy that I 
 feel certain there is mischief somewhere. The Freres, 
 too, are not nearly so jolly as they used to be. You' 
 have heard, of course, of the extraordinary friendship 
 between my family and the Frere children. I cannot 
 inake out what has come to them all; and when I 
 
for 
 her 
 
 A STARTLING ARRANGEMENT. 121 
 
 spoke to Poach she said. " Oli mother! don't ask 
 me. The only one who can tell you is Nina, and I 
 am sure she won't." So you see there is something 
 up, and what it can be is the puzzle.' 
 
 Mrs Challoner now reflected over this letter, and 
 said to herself, ' There is something up. I believe 
 Nina has been up to some mischief. What in the 
 world can it be ? ' 
 
 Mrs Challoner M^as a very good and a very 
 sympathetic woman, but unfortunately she was 
 possessed by a most inordinate and overweenincr 
 bump of curiosity. She liked to ferret out secrets^ 
 and the idea that her pretty niece held one, which 
 she would not tell her. annoyed her not a little. 
 There was nothing to be done about it, however. 
 Nina could be quite as obstinate as the good lady 
 herself. Nothing would induce Nina to divulge 
 what she chose to keep hidden ; and Mrs Challoner 
 had already discovered this marked trait in her 
 niece's character. 
 
 ' Well, well; she thought to herself, ' the mother is 
 worried, and the children are worried ; and there is 
 something up with the Freres, for Nina used to make 
 me perfectly sickly the way she kept on talking 
 about them-their virtues, their charms, their quaint 
 names, the passionate friendship she had for Prudence 
 m particular; and now she owns that they do not 
 
 -! 
 
\i 
 
 '22 A STAKXr.INn AllIUNaEMENT. 
 
 write, .u„l that ,!,„ has „ot Ik.ucI ,„„cI, about th„„ 
 
 I kno,v w,„t it i. I hl<e to have ,„y Hnger in a 
 
 p.o of tin, sort. an,l I think I will a.k Henrietta to 
 mvito mo down to .spon.l part „f the holidays with 
 '•or. I l,ad „,oa„t to go to a Gorman Spa; but 
 ..ever m„,d, I ean do that tor part of the time, and 
 spend the rest of the time with the Carlingfords' 
 
 Accordingly Mr. Challoner wrote to her sister to 
 this effect: 
 
 •Keep a corner for n,o in y„ur country arrange- 
 ".o..ts. cannot solve yon,- n.ystory; but I L. 
 
 not n,yselt if I don't do ,-,o in the long-run I 
 cannot quite say when I shall be with you- but 
 ■sooner or later I shall put in an appoaranc'o, so 
 uonfc forgot. 
 
 M..nwl,ile Nina, upstairs, had broken the envelope 
 of Kenneths letter and ha.l spread the closely, 
 wntten sheets before her. They ran as follows- 
 
 'My DEAR NmA,-Here-s a state of things. We 
 have been as conscientious as two belligerent forces 
 eould be during your absence. The Odds and the 
 Evens have kept faithfully to the terms of warfare; 
 and I do not think we have exchanged a friendly 
 word or bestowed a friendly glance one upon the 
 other. But now, what do you think ha, ha,,poned ? 
 There .s a largo house in the country about forty 
 m.les fron, hero, a great, ln,ge barrack of a place 
 
so 
 
 A STAUTJ.INU ARRANGEMENT. 123 
 
 and mother told me only to-day that she and Dr 
 and Mrs Frere hud taken it between them. So we 
 are all. my dear Nina, to live in one house during 
 the summer holidays. Now, what do you say to 
 that? Ought not I immediately to confide in 
 mother, and tell her that such a course of thinas is 
 impossible? What is to be done? I can tell "you 
 that Malcolm and I and Fred and Peach arc almost 
 beside ourselves. In fact, we can scarcely conceal 
 our feelings from mother; and it was oidy last 
 night she asked me, "Is anything wrong, Kenneth? 
 You don't look half the boy you were." Of course 
 I could not tell her; but we arc quite wretched. 
 The warfare must come to an end. You must 
 just give it up, Nina; it is really the height of 
 silliness.' 
 
 Having finished reading her letter, Nina sat and 
 thought for some time, then she took pen and ink, 
 and wrote quickly in reply: 
 
 'My dear Kenneth,— You must know me very 
 little indeed when you write the sort of letter I 
 have just received. As to giving up our quarrel 
 because there aie some difficulties in connection with 
 it, it is the very last thing I ^jhould think of doing. 
 We can manage beyond doubt to keep to the con- 
 ditions of the warfare, even if we do live in the 
 same house. For my part, I think it will be 
 

 h, 
 
 > I 
 
 ■ I 
 
 124 A STAttTLINU ARRANGEMENT. 
 
 extrcnoly oxeitins, and will brin. ,„attc« to a„ 
 .ssuc .„„ch ,„o..„ ,,uickly than if „o lived, a, the 
 fom.l.es „o„ do, at opposite covno..., of th„ «,uarc, 
 ook iorwavd with int„„.,c interest to the „u,u,ner 
 Lohday., ; and tho ii,.t thin,, I ,„,,„ j, ^„ ., ^,, 
 rou.e your Magging .spi.-it, „„, «„ „„ , , ,^j. 
 
 Ma CO ,n and of Peach and „f l-Ved. Vo„ ,, u..o 
 to looic out fo, ,,t„,.,„s when I c.,„,e back to you 
 "■y boy; for I assm^e you until R„.,aleen he... Fred's' 
 par,h,n I have not the .Jightest intention of l,oi«tin. 
 the Hag of peace.' " 
 
 Nina laughed a.s she finished reading over what 
 She had written. 
 
 'How silly they are!' she .said to her.s,.lf. 'It i, 
 
 f«l Uin,e for me to go back. I an, glad that I .ball 
 oe home in a week.' 
 
 She finished her letter to her brother, directed an 
 envelope, and laid it beside her. .She then wrote 
 another and shorter letter to her mother ■ 
 
 ■Dear.st, i>ARu.a M^HV.-In one week'., time 
 i »hal be back again. How glad I shall be to see 
 you although I have had a very, very happy time 
 
 """.'';;" J"' '^'---':i- .von, mnmsy, as one 
 pea .s bke another! But she i.s not, perhaps, quite, 
 qu.te as n>ee, for she has never had any children of 
 her own ; but she is abnost as nice, and I love 
 rtayn.g with her, and l«,k forward to beinc. with 
 
A STARTLING ARRANGEMENT. 125 
 
 her a^rain at tho end of the snnnnor holidays Ent 
 mummy dear, what splendid news this is which' 
 Kenneth has given me !-tho Frercs and ourselves 
 are all to live in a great big house together in tho 
 country. I am almost glad you have arranged to 
 go to the country and not to the seaside. I hope 
 there are plenty of trees about, and plenty of bi.. 
 lawns, and all kinds of fun, tennis-courts, and such 
 thmgs into the bargain. I am coming back in excellent 
 health and spirits, an.l shall prove myself a very 
 lively, noisy, troublesome daughter during the holi- 
 days; but never mind, mun.sy, I am your own Nina 
 who loves you better than any one else in the world.' 
 
 Having finished the two letters. x\ina stamped 
 them and ran downstairs. Slie met the servant in 
 the hall, told him to put the letters into the pillar 
 box-, and. returning to her room, got into bed and 
 fell fast asleep. She was not at all .ndiappy nor 
 anxious. On the contrary, Kennetli's news had 
 stimulated her to fresh exertions, and she looked 
 forward to the summer Iiolidays as to a very good 
 time indeed. 
 
 In a week from the day when she ha<l written 
 her letters Nina went back to Warrencliffe. Kenneth 
 Malcolm, Peach, and Fred all met her at the station.' 
 They rushed forward when they saw her emerging 
 from a flrst-cIass can-iago. Peach uttered a little 
 
12fi 
 
 A STAirnjNO AltK.\.V(i|.;.Mr.;NT. 
 
 !l:.i 
 
 H\ 
 
 Hi 
 
 whoop or .Idinla. und, runulnj. (o her .siskT. ..|a,spocl 
 her arms round hur luck. 
 
 Nina ^rave lu.r a hanty hu-, sl.oolc hands with tho 
 ho3-,s. and evon with Fred, who was ^a-oatly ndicved 
 that .she did not oIHt to Idss hi,,.. Th.y all ^r„t 
 into a cab and (h-ovo home. Tho word Frcro was 
 not oven montionod ; only once it nearly ro.o to 
 the tip of Peach's ton^ruo, hut Nina put ho.' a.-.., 
 round lier, stooped down, and wliisp,,rod : 
 
 'Not a syllabic abo„t tho Freros to-night. I 
 am lio,no aorai„, and wo are to have a right ^roo.l 
 happy time' 
 
 Peach uttc^ed a sigh <,f i„fce„,so relief, n„d 
 wh,spo.-ed Nina's n,a„da(e to Vr..], who looked 
 equally relieved ,.nd cl.ee.vd. U. <-o,„n,unicuted the 
 intell,g,.„ee to Ken.etli and M.dc.lm, and tl,. wl.ole 
 iittlo party wero i., conse.,ue„ee sn.iling and el.attin.^ 
 as gaily .. the n.ombers of one family ought when 
 they reached tho house. 
 
 'And how soon shall we go to tho country?' 
 asked Nh.a as she stood by her mother', side' in ' 
 the drawing-room. 
 
 'Well; answered Mrs Carlingford, 'the Freres co 
 down to-morrow. I thought that we might go wi'h 
 tliem; but Kenneth seems to tliink wo ha.l best 
 make our jaunt on th- following day. What do 
 you .say, darlin;;?' 
 
iNpod 
 
 in 
 
 A STAUTfJNfj AllHAVGEMEXT. 127 
 
 KO^ .low,, lo.,„on.„„, „,„j t,,„ ^-,^„.^,^ ^,,^ __^^^ 
 
 ■ Won, clo,v,-o.t, .n it l,„pp,,„,,, n, p,„.„ ,^^ ,,„,._^^^ 
 „,;t, '"-■ ^'"" "'-"'■■'■""■' »" «'^ -"-t ,li„t„,l, t.„.t 
 
 A.U wo to l.vo lM-.,.|o,|y-pi.,,,„l,, ,U1 t„getl,or or 
 arowotoh„.o.,o,,,.,.Hto,,alve,„ft,,„,,„u3;r 
 
 M« Qul,n«f„,,l ; .but, ,. f„r «.s I e.u. tell the 
 an.a„.o,„o„, is tl,.t. an tho l,„„.so i„ ,, ,,,y' ,,, 
 wo .^ ...py ti,e Kroat wost win,^. a,„l tho Froros tlm 
 groat east wint^ arnJ tU->i ji. . -iit 
 t' '"=■""""'■'' 1-"" 1111.1(1!,. i,r body „r tlio 
 
 lion* M noiitral frrouml.' 
 
 ■Voi-y e.eiti„,/i,Hloo,l; eriod Nin„. Sh„ pa„.,l 
 and (appcl her foot up „„d d.nvn. 
 
 •And what about our moal.s?' sho askod 
 'Oh, wo dino „n.l breakfast and luuch, aud all 
 that sort of thin., togothor.' .aid Mr, Carlin^tord 
 But wo have en- private sitting-roou,,,, of cour.so; 
 tha must be, for Kenneth want, to «tudy a good 
 deal m tho holidny... Ho hone. t„ t„i, , • , , 
 M„,,: , .. ^ P"" '" 'ako his London 
 
 Matr,culat.on, you know, early i„ October, and ha. 
 to work very hard in order to pa,. ' 
 
 -By the way. mother." exclaimed Nina, 'Aunt .T„li„ 
 U, taken no eu,l of a fancy to Kenneth, „„d she 
 
 I 
 
128 
 
 A STARTI-ING ARRANGEMENT. 
 
 'II I 
 
 wants him to go and spend part of the Christmas 
 holidays with her and with me. I wonder if you 
 would mind, mother?' 
 
 'I always like to have you all at home at 
 Christmas; replied Mrs Carlingford, a pathetic 
 look coming into her face. 'You know that, 
 darling. Ever since your dear father died I have 
 felt ' 
 
 'Oh mummy! if you dislike it, of course we won't 
 go,' said Nina. ' But I tell you what. Aunt Julia 
 shall come and spend Christmas here; and when 
 Christmas is quite over, Kenneth and I will go 
 back to town with her for a week. How will that 
 do, mummy ? ' 
 
 ' By that time K(3nneth may very likely bo living 
 in town,' replied Mrs Carlingford; 'but it all 
 depends on whether he passes his "Matric." Well, 
 dearest, I hear the clamour of Peacli's fingers on the' 
 panel of . the door; she wants you, as we all want 
 you, my darling. Supper is ready. Come down- 
 stairs — wont you ? ' 
 
 The supper was as cheerful a meal as the Carling- 
 fords had ever eaten. The Carlingford children felt 
 the relief of Nina's presence ; and Peach began to 
 whisper to Fred that now things would be quite all 
 riglit, and she was glad Nina had come to put a 
 little spunk into them all. 
 
A STARTLING ARRANGEMENT. 
 
 129 
 
 'For we are softies, every one of us,' said 
 Peach. 'We have not half the spirit the Freres 
 have.' 
 
 'Oh, hush! hush!' cried Fred. 'If we say that 
 name too loud Nina may bo down upon us. I am 
 i-ather afraid of Nina. Yes, I am.' 
 
 'I'll punch your head if you say that again,' 
 answered Peach. 
 
 ' You are always talking in that way to me. You 
 quite forget that I am a boy,' said Fred. 
 
 'You are not a boy,' returned Peach; 'you're 
 nothing in the world but a baby— a cry-baby, too. 
 I often see you crying, and I know why.' 
 'Why?' asked Fred, in some alarm. 
 Supper was over then, and the children were 
 standing in the deep embrasure of a big window. 
 No one overheard their words. 
 
 'Why?' repeated the little boy again. 
 ' Oh, I know,' said Peach nodding her head. ' It 's 
 'cos you're fretting for Amy and her spelling. 
 Now, aren't you?' 
 
 'Well, she is my half-twin,' answered Fred. 'It's 
 no wonder I fret. She looks very bad, does Amy.' 
 'When did you see her?' 
 
 'I peeped over the wall yesterday, and she was 
 walking about all by herself, and crooning out tho 
 very longest names you ever heard in the whole 
 
 The Odds and tlie Evens. t 
 
 m 
 
 
[111 
 
 
 III 
 
 
 Hi' 
 
 Ml 
 
 nil , 
 
 130 
 
 A STAilTLING AIUlANGiaiENT. 
 
 course of your life. I very nearly said "A.ny;" but 
 I didn't, so you need not punch my head.' 
 
 *If I thought you Iiad; exchiimcd Peiich, 'I'd 
 
 But there; Nina is home now, and it's all ricrht— 
 it's all right/ '^ 
 
 -■■?■ 
 
but 
 
 131 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 PREPARATIONS. 
 
 jHE Frcres went down the next day 
 to Inglenook, as the large old manor 
 was called. They were all in high 
 spirits, and, indeed, considerably excited. 
 They felt that they had at least twenty-four 
 hours before the arrival of their enemies, and they 
 knew that in that time they had a great deal to 
 do. Prue and Patience were quite friendly with 
 Rose and Amy, and Rose an^l Amy felt the dis- 
 tinction of being so much with their elder sisters. 
 
 During the railway journey, and during the long 
 drive in the open carriage, the sisters spoke often 
 in whispers together, and the word Carlingford 
 came more than once to their lips. 
 
 Dr and Mrs Frere had not noticed, as Mrs 
 Carlingford had, the great coldness between their 
 children and the Carlingfords. It was they who had 
 
132 
 
 rHEl'AUATIONS. 
 
 I 
 
 : ) s 
 
 proposed thiy suininer an-angcineiit. Mrs Carliiigford 
 was Mrs Frero's greatest friend, and the latter looked 
 forward with immense pleasure to spending many 
 long weeks in her society. As they were turning 
 in at the wide gates preparatory to driving down 
 the avenue, she turned to Prudence and said : 
 
 'I am very sorry I did not see Nina; she 
 arrived home last niglit. How she will enjoy this 
 place! I was tliinking, darling, that we could 
 easily hire horses, and that you two and Nina 
 Carlingford could have long rides toe'ether' 
 
 cj to • 
 
 'Oh, I should not care about it, really, mother,' 
 said Prudence, colouring faintly as she spoke. 
 
 ' Not care about it. Prudence ! But you always 
 have been so anxious to ride. Listen to her, father,' 
 continued Mrs Frere, turning to her husband. ' This 
 silly, naughty girl of ours says she would not care 
 to ride." 
 
 'But why not, Prue ? ' asked her father. 'You 
 enjoyed your rides on the mountain ponies M^hen 
 we were in Wales last year.' 
 
 'Yes; but it is different now,' answered Prue. 
 'There is the sea two miles away, and these 
 splendid grounds. I do not think— I mean,' she 
 added, blushing and hesitating, 'I do not think I 
 would greatly care about it.' 
 
 'Oh, we'll sec!' exclaimed Dr Frere. 'Wait until 
 
m 
 
 PREPARATIONS. 
 
 133 
 
 ' 
 
 Nina comes. She '11 soon put some spunk into you, 
 little girl. I do hope, my child, you have not been 
 studying too hard.' 
 
 'Oh no; I am absolutely quite well,' returned placid 
 Prudence. She never did overwork herself, although 
 she was a good girl and made steady progress in 
 her school studies. Patience was as like Prue as one 
 sister can be like another. She was a sort of echo 
 of Prue, and she now corroborated her sister's 
 words, with a significant squeeze of the hand. 
 
 Presently the carriage drew up outside the porch 
 of the big, roomy, delightful house, and Mrs Sweet, 
 the housekeeper, who had charge of the place, and 
 undertook to provide servants and all necessaries 
 for the two families, came out into the porch 
 curtsying and smiling. 
 
 'How do you do, ma'am? You're heartily wel- 
 come,' she exclaimed. 'How do you do, sir? Well, 
 young ladies, I am truly pleased to see you.' 
 
 Mrs Sweet spoke as if she had known the 
 family for a long time. 
 
 'Come in, young ladies — come in,' she said. 
 'Ma'am, I'll be pleased and proud to show you 
 over the place. I took the liberty of having tea 
 ready in the oak parlour; it's a very cool room, 
 the sun never getting to it, as it faces due north.' 
 'We shall find tea most refreshing; and it is 
 
 ' m 
 
134 
 
 PIIEI'AUATIONS. 
 
 V' 
 
 very kind oi* you, Mrs Sweit,' replied Mrs Frere. She 
 entered the liou.so, the hou.sekeeper following her, 
 and the four little girls trooping behind. Finally 
 Amy felt a touch on her arm; sho looked round 
 at Rose. 
 
 'I am not going witli you now,' she .said. ' I don't 
 intend to. I am very thirsty, and 1 want my tea.' 
 'Bosh!' returned Kosalecn, 'There's a great deal 
 to talk about. Who cares for tea'' 
 
 'Well, I want mi; o ; and nuubo tli. re a.-e cakes 
 and fruit— there 's sure to be fruit,' said Amy. 
 
 'Oh! fruit and cakes,' said Rosalcen in a thought- 
 ful voice. •'! like them. I like everything here; 
 and I like best of all that the Carlingfords are 
 coiiiiiig to-morrow.' 
 
 'But you'll be wreteheij when they come,' replied 
 Amy. 'But there,' she added, 'we won't talk now. 
 Do come; tliis is such a huge, big house that we'll 
 lose ourselves if we are not f[uick,' 
 
 Meanwhile the others had entered the oak parlour, 
 which was as charming and refreshing-looking a room 
 as any tired travellers could desire. The windows 
 were wide open, and round cacli window clusterino- 
 roses peeped, as well as many other sorts of creepers. 
 The sweet smell from a flowering myrtle greeted 
 their nostrils, and in the garden outside there were 
 great beds of cherry-pie, mignonette, sweet-peas, and 
 
:c.s 
 
 PREPARATIONS. 
 
 135 
 
 other sweet-smelling flowers. The scent of hay was 
 also wafted in through those open windows. The 
 oak parlour was worthy of its name, being lined 
 throughout with heavy oak. There was a good deal 
 of china fastened up to tlie walls, which relieved 
 the dark effect; there were old books, too, and 
 quaint old furniture, and a long glass which i ached 
 from ceiling to floor in the middle of one wall; 
 and the old-fashioned latticed windows were cur- 
 tained with the quaintest old-world muslin curtains. 
 On the centre table a tea was laid which ought 
 to have delighted the heart of the most fastidious 
 cliild in the world. Late as it was in the season, 
 there were still quantities of strawberries, and they 
 were piled up in great glares dishes; and there were 
 other fruits, and many jugs of cream, and Junkets 
 and cakes, and tea and coflee. And even Rosaleeii 
 forgot all about her desire to have a secret talk 
 with Amy when she saw that tea-table. 
 
 'I am hungry and thirsty,' she said. 'I am very 
 glad I came.' 
 
 'Well, so are we all hungry and thirsty, Rose,' 
 replied her mother. 'Now run ur stairs, dear, and 
 wash your hands. Mrs Sweet will shosv you the 
 bedrooms; and then you will come down. I shall 
 be ready to pour out the tea. Afterwards we will 
 walk round the grounds.' 
 
 i' 
 
 !! 
 
 ll 
 
136 
 
 rUEPARATIONS. 
 
 ;ri. 
 
 'tl 
 
 I ,! 
 
 H .; 
 
 Tho FruiVH had been allotte.1 the west wing, wliich 
 contained many bedrooms, all of which were as nice 
 in their way as Vxo oak parlour was in its way. 
 The little girls had one betwetn them, a cosy nest, 
 with old-fashioned furniture a.id old-fashioned cot' 
 beds. Amy (juite screamed with delight when she 
 saw hers ; while as to Rose, she began turning somer- 
 saults up and doWn the oak floor. 
 
 'This is 'licious— 'licious,' she cried. 'Wo could 
 have a great fight here. There's going to be a 
 battle during the holidays, and we '11 fix the field ; 
 it will be as groat a battle as those in history, and 
 it may be mentioned in history by-and-by. I have 
 it all settled. I am glad they are coming; yes, 
 I am glad.' 
 
 'Well, g t ready for tea now,' said Amy. 'We 
 will have Olio night in peace, one delightful evening, 
 one lovely morning. They '11 be here about this tinrj 
 to-morrow.' 
 
 'It's all too long oflT,' cried Rose. 'I'm eager for 
 the fight to come hot and thick and fast.' 
 
 'You're a little savage,' replied Amy; 'you ought 
 to be ashamed of yourself.' 
 
 ' Well, I 'm not,' answered Rosaleen. ' I 'm enjoying 
 myself far too much to be 'shamed. You're only 
 'shamed when you 're sad, and I 'm bubbling up with 
 joy this minute. Oh, let 's be (|uick, Amy ! What 
 
PREPARATIONS. 
 
 could 
 
 be a 
 
 field ; 
 
 y, and 
 
 '. have 
 
 ; yes, 
 
 'Wo 
 
 eninaf, 
 5 time 
 
 137 
 
 matter whether your luiir is smootli or not ? You 
 needn't stop to brush it, surely.' 
 
 'I'll take out my little pocket-comb; that will 
 do/ said Amy. 
 
 'You're the most perfect old maid that ever 
 walked the earth,' remarked Rosaleen. 'What do 
 you keep a pocket-comb for ? ' 
 
 "Cos I like my hair smooth,' said Amy. 'I 
 got it off a Christmas-tree last year. Isn't it an 
 awfully sweet little thing ? ' 
 
 'Horrid little thing!' said Rose. 'You needn't 
 think I 'm going to get out my tangles with it.' 
 
 Amy, who had produced from her pocket a little 
 pocket-comb, with a tiny glass attached, now held 
 up the glass before her face, managed to see about 
 the half of one eye and a little corner of her nose, 
 and proceeded, as she expressed it, to do her 
 hair. Rosaleen danced round her while the process 
 was going on, and begged of her to hurry. At 
 last it was smooth enough to content the placid 
 Amy, and she ran downstairs, accompanied by her 
 sister. 
 
 Mrs Frere was seated at the head of the table. 
 Dr Frere was lounging on a sofa by one of the 
 open windows, and Pruo and Patience had ensconced 
 themselves on each side of him. 
 
 'There you are!' exclaimed the, mother as the little 
 
138 
 
 If! 
 
 M 
 
 1 
 
 rr^ 
 
 . » 
 
 5 I 
 
 ^4 
 
 -•4'- 
 
 PREPARATIONS. 
 
 I ii' 
 
 sinters entered. 'Rose, my p(3t, wliafc an untidy 
 head! Now, Amy's looks beautifully neat' 
 
 'Oh! I wouldn't be a pocket-combed <r\v\ for all 
 the world; replied Rosaieen. ' It s 'cos she 's an old 
 maid that she has her hair so prim.' 
 
 'You are not to abuse Amy for her virtues, my 
 dear,' called out her fatlier. ' Now then, let us all 
 enjoy the good thinofs before us.' 
 
 That they did. Never was there a more delightful 
 tea In particular, Rosaleen's eyes danced and shone 
 as she ate and ate and thought and thought. A 
 great crisis was approaching, and she was eager for 
 the fray. 
 
 At last the meal was over, and the children went 
 out. Rosaieen ruslied wildly down the lawn, followed 
 by Amy. When they got to the bottom she pulled 
 her companion down to her side. 
 
 'I'm the queen of this fight,' she said. 'I'm the 
 general on our side of the battle. I want to speak 
 to my soldiers, Prue and Patience; go and fetch 
 'em.' 
 
 ' But they won't come. You don't suppose they 're 
 going to be at the beck and call of a little girl 
 like you ? ' 
 
 •Little girl yourself,' retorted Rosaieen, standing 
 up before her sister, with her legs slightly apart 
 and her arms akimbo. ' Go fetch 'em, and be quick.' 
 
PRKPARATIONS. 
 
 139 
 
 Her eyes ilaHlied. ' Wo liave no time to lose/ she 
 said. 'We liuvo to miik.' oit wliut wo moan to do. 
 Wo liav(! a ^n-eat deal to dooido to-ni;r]it. Go lotch 
 on), Amy.' 
 
 Amy, as slu rcniarkrd afterwards, felt almost 
 mesmerised ])y Uusaleen's determined way, for 
 there was not the gleam of a smile in her eyes, 
 and her rosy face kjoktd almost stern. Amy went 
 slowly up the lawn. Presently she reaehod a little 
 summor-houso, whore Prue and Patience were sit- 
 ting with their mother. 
 
 ' You 're to como,' said Amy, standing in front of 
 the summer-house and gazing at her two si.sters. 
 
 ' Where ? ' asked Patty. ' What 's the matter ? ' 
 
 ' Rosaleen wants you. She says you are to 
 come.' 
 
 'Oh, nonsense! Tell her we'll soo her presently,' 
 roi>lied Piuo. ' Yes, mummv ; wliat wore you savino- ? 
 — that you ' 
 
 ' But if little Itoso Mants you, you may as well 
 go to her,' remarked the mother. M am (.oino- in to 
 talk to your father. Wr must make a good many 
 arrangements bofoi-e the Carlingfords come. How 
 very nice it will be to have them here!' 
 
 She got up as she spoke, and re-entered the house. 
 The girls looked after her. Amy went solemnly into 
 the summer-house. 
 
 *■ 
 
 ;:l 
 
140 
 
 IMIEPAIJATIONS. 
 
 ii 
 
 ■Thoro's going t„ l,o an awful H of trouble.' ,I,o 
 oxcl,u,„od. . My ,,„,.,t ,,uite ™,k.,. Ro,,„ i, ;, J ' 
 WO.0 „na „.„,.„o. i th,-,„< „.„o„ the Ca-li. ; 2 
 
 ■t <n,,U to 1,0 p..opc«o,l ti„.t ou.. fat,,or an.l th; two 
 for „e I „, „g,,t,„„j. j^^^ ^^ ^ 
 
 and- fierce tl,at there >H no holding her in/ ^ 
 
 She „ pretty cool, I »,„st «ay,- replied Patty ■ It 
 .s all most „„pl„„,,ant,' «ho added ■! ^„it„ f,,, f„, 
 you A,„y,. y„u w„ ,„,,,, ^,,.^^^ J, 
 
 Ko.aee„ „„„ the re,t of „,. «„, ;, „„ ^^^,,^„^^ ' 
 augh^httlo girl, and h. become very „„ch wo : 
 
 ay N,na .s most aeri„„,,y to be blamed. I used to 
 bo very fond of her.' 
 
 ■OhMtis all wrong,' said Amy; 'and Fred is .such 
 
 , ';' ° "P" '■■'"" "'-" '"'"'%«; and wo might have 
 lia<l a "spelling bee" in tl.o end' 
 
 •A "spelling beo"! J( there is anything intoler- 
 able ,t 's that.' cried Prudence. -Well, Isiposri 
 ™..st.o and talk to the liltie termagant' 'ci:: 
 
 The three girls walked down the lawn. Rosaleen 
 had seate herael on agras,v hnoll. She had .spread 
 out her slarts and arranged her black hair; she had 
 
PnEPAIiATIONS. 
 
 141 
 
 taken off her l.at. and was g„.i„g straight Wore 
 
 ■I must my that, tl,o,,,h r am younft I have got 
 r'ontyof ,,i,.i,.;..:,os,.idt<H,.,..self;.b«tI„,„.,t,et 
 cm tool h..,- J I.: .o_th,.t I am Konoral, and thoy 
 have got to -hoy ,,10.' 
 
 The three ^\vh approach od. 
 
 •You can sit there, just in front of me/ said 
 Kosaleen. 
 
 'Don't be so silly/ cried Pruo, who could scarcely 
 help laughing at Rosaleen's words. 
 
 'It isn't likely that the soldiers will sit beside the 
 general,' replied Rose. 'You sit there on the grass- 
 I chose this knoll 'cos I 'm higher than you.' 
 
 ' Well, let us humour her.' said Prue. She dropped 
 down on the grass. 'Will this do. General Rosaleen 
 Frcre?' she asked. 
 
 'Yes. it wil! do very well indeed. Prue,' replied 
 Rosaleen in a grave voice. 'Sit you down, Patio.ce; 
 and sit you down. Ainc^lie.' 
 
 'Oh dear! this is very ceremonious.' exclaimed 
 Irudenco. laughing again. 
 
 'You shouldn't laugh at the general.' returned 
 Rose. 'Now then, here we all are. It's very nice- 
 isn't it?-to feel that the great battle is so near' 
 
 'It's very awkward. I tliink,' answered Prudence- 
 'It s about the queerest confusion I ever heard of' 
 
142 
 
 PREPARATIONS. 
 
 pi 
 
 i; 
 
 Poor clear mother, poor darling father, poor sweet 
 Mrs Carlingforcl, how little they guess what is 
 before them ! But I tell you what it is, Rosaleen, 
 whatever we do, we must not make our parents 
 uniiappy.' 
 
 'Of course not,' said Rosaleen. 'Motlicr would be 
 awfully proud of me if she knew; she would say 
 there never was a little girl with such u lot of 
 spirit.' 
 
 ' That 's just it, Rose. I don't think she would be 
 proud of you at all; she would think you were a 
 very bad little girl, and she would be very angry 
 both with you and Nina. Now, what I propose is, 
 Miss Rose: let us have a meeting to-morrow, and 
 let us ' 
 
 'Well,' cried Rosaleen, 'what's in your mind? 
 Out with it.' 
 
 'Let's make it up,' answered Pi-ue. 
 
 Rosaleen sprang to her feet. 
 
 'If you think I'm going to bend these knees 
 you're fine and mistook. Give it up? If Nina 
 uomes to me and says, "Rosaleen, Dark Rosaleen, I 
 beg your pardon. I see that you have that spirit 
 within you which cannot be crushed. Dark Rosaleen, 
 I beg your pardon, and I bend my knees to you," 
 then there will be Pax if you like, and we'll all be 
 jolly, and I'll be as pleased as Punch; and Amy 
 
' If you think I 'in going to bond tliew kn<>es 
 
 you 'ic i'ltw iuiii mistook.' 
 
 P.Mii-: 142 
 

 
PREPARATIONS. 
 
 143 
 
 can teach Fred his spelling; and you, Frue, can hob- 
 nob with Nina; and we can all be jolly together. 
 But not for les8 than that ; it 's Nina's knees shall 
 bend, not mine.' 
 
 ' Oh ! you 're a little goose ; there really is no talking 
 to you. But come, of course we have declared war, 
 and we must stick to it, although I must say it's 
 detestable. But one thing we must do : we must be 
 outwardly polite. We '11 have to be with the Carling- 
 fords more than ever we were during term, and we 
 will have so to act that our parents are not un- 
 happy.' 
 
 ' Quite right, Prue,' said Patty ; ' that 'r what we 
 must do.' 
 
 'Then I propose,' continued Prudence, 'that when 
 the Carlingfords come to-morrow we should just 
 have a little talk with them for a minute or two, 
 and arrange how matters are to be; there is nothing 
 else for it.' 
 
 'There's one great comfort,' remarked Amy, 'we 
 sloop in the west wing, and they sleep in the' east 
 wing; we'll have quiet nights anyway.' 
 
 'Maybe,' said Rosaleeii, 'there'll be ambushes, and 
 all that sort of thing, going on ; there 's no saying. 
 You 're in a great hurry to stop our fun ; that 's 
 all I can say. For my part, I'm not going to 
 yield. This battle has to go right through, and 
 
 1 I 
 
 ! I 
 
144 
 
 PREPARATIONS. 
 
 I'm never going to yield. Nina shall bend the knee, 
 not the Dark Rosaleen.' 
 
 The children continued their conversation a few 
 n.inutes longer, and then Prue and P^tty went sadly 
 back to the house. 
 
 Meanwhile Mrs Frere, with the help of the house- 
 keeper, had been making arrangements. The east 
 wing, which was even more charming, if that were 
 possible, than the west, was arranged for the use 
 of the Carlingfords, and Pridence and Patty were 
 asked by their mother to come with hsr to inspect 
 the pretty rooms. 
 
 'I am anxious that you should see Nina's room' 
 said Mrs Frere. 'It is just over the po.ch. Did 
 you ever see anything more fascinating?' 
 
 It certainly was a lovely room. From the window 
 was a magnificent view, and the room itself was 
 as sweet and pretty as the most fastidious maiden 
 could desire, 
 
 'She cannot but be pleased with it,' said Mn Frere- 
 'and there is a lovely window-seat wh: .-e < o;^ Prue' 
 and Nina can chat together. My darling.,' sui) con- 
 tmued, 'I had a great friend myself when I was 
 your age, and I appreciated what we used to call in 
 Scotch phrase "a hearty haver." You can "haver" 
 here, my darling child, to your heart's content.' 
 'Yes, mother,' replied Prue a little sadly; 'but 
 
 I 
 
PREPARATIONS. 145 
 
 I do not tliink/ she added after a pau.s,. 'tliat we 
 
 shall "haver" much; we have grown' 
 
 'Older, is it not?' said Mrs Frere. 'Yes that is 
 quite true. You and Patience are becoming very 
 womanly, both of you but I don't want you to 
 lose your sweet childhood too soon. You won't be 
 fifteen for another week, and yours is the happy 
 age, full of friendships and romance and sentiment 
 and poetry and love. Keep all the good things of 
 your golden youth, darlings.' 
 
 
 ! /I 
 
 The OJ.ls ami the Evens. 
 
116 
 
 ri 
 
 ,1 
 'I. ■ 
 
 1 
 
 ■ ^ 
 
 w ^ 
 
 p^ 
 
 i 
 
 
 i 
 
 i ^ 
 
 r 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 1 
 
 ! ! 1 
 
 ! 
 
 s 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 CHAPTER XII i 
 
 PATIENCE LAUGHED. 
 
 |HE next day the Carlingfords arrived. 
 They came about the same hour that 
 the Freres did on the previous after- 
 noon, and walked in quite quietly, look- 
 inn-, all of tliem, quite nice and cheerful. Nina, 
 in particular, was absolutely radiant in her summer 
 (h-oss, with a big shady hat softening her charming 
 face. 
 
 Mrs Frerc came out on the lawn to meet htr 
 friends, and she and Mrs Carlingford kissed each 
 other very warmly, and then hand-in-b ,r. 1 went into 
 the house. Dr Frere arrived present.. nd joined 
 the two !;v;;es. The children loo. c-^ , one another. 
 There wa^ not a young Frere ai)v aere in sight. 
 
 'So far so good,' said Nina. S!)( -in up to Mrs 
 Frere as she uttered the words, ' Ar.-, to see our 
 rooms now, or later on?' she asked. 
 
 % 
 ■^ 
 
PATIENCE LAUGHED. 
 
 147 
 
 'Oh, of coui-so, any moment you like, dour Nina. 
 But where is Pruc ?' 
 
 'I can ace my room without Prue— can I not?' 
 asked Nina. 
 
 • Yes ; but it is very odd that the child is not any- 
 wliere about. She and ^'atty were here a nn'nute 
 aero. As to tlie two little ones, they made off 
 inunediately after breakfast, and begged of me to 
 allow them to take their lunch with them. I expect 
 they are in one of the hay-fields. You would 
 like to go and have a search for then), Peach; and 
 you, Fred, might go with your sister.' 
 
 Fred's eyes sparkled. He would have given almost 
 everything he possessed to rush off through tliat 
 summer sunshine, through those hay-scented fields, 
 in search of the two little sisters. He looked fixedly 
 at Peach, who was standing up very frave and 
 stern, her large gray eyes fixed on her sister Nina's 
 face. 
 
 Nina gave her an emphatic look which seemed to 
 the younger girl to signify approval; and then, 
 turning once more to Mrs Frere, she said: 
 
 'I will run up and see my room. We shall 
 come across Prue and Patty some time, I suppose.' 
 She spoke quite lightly, and there was no apparent 
 confusion in her tones, 
 
 Mrs Frere proposed to tak(^ the Carlino-fords 
 
 b- < 
 
 $■ 
 
 !'$) 
 ^ti 
 
148 
 
 PATIENCE LAUGHED. 
 
 Ill 
 
 
 1 
 
 i''r I 
 
 over the east win^. herself. She Hecme.l annoyed at 
 the absence of all the children, but said nothing 
 further on the matter. 
 
 The Carlingfords were delighted with the pleasant 
 arran^rements made for their comfort. Nina linc^ered 
 for a little in Iier pretty room, and Peach stood by 
 her side. 
 
 'Oh Nina. Nina!' said the little girl when the 
 door closed upon tlie elder ladies, ' how are we to 
 carry it on?' 
 
 'By being perfectly natural and pleasant and 
 pohte, and thinking more of others than our- 
 selves,' answered Nina in a most good, go-to-meeting 
 sort of voice. 
 
 'But I don't understand you,' said Peach. 'I 
 supposed that we were thinking altogether of our- 
 selves in this matter. What do you mean?' 
 
 'I want us all to have a happy time. Of course 
 the battle must go on until Rosaleen chooses to 
 yield.' 
 
 'I do not believe .she will ever yield,' replied 
 Peach. 'It's not in her.' 
 
 'She must yiehV said Nina. 'The battle must 
 go on until she does; but it is possible that I may 
 bring her to her senses-I have several schemes in 
 my head. But now, go downstairs. Peach. You look 
 quite pale and almost frightened ; that will never do.' 
 
 4 
 
PATIENCK LAUdHEl). 
 
 14f) 
 
 I 
 
 ; I will ,. u„ out ,.„.l have a look ■■„u„.l the place 
 saiil Peach. 'If wo i^o fl.„ v 
 
 , ., . "'"' "'" *'«-es we will speak 
 
 to them f,u,te politely, of course.' ■ 
 
 •01' yos, dear; a,.,i in our parents' presence you 
 ■H-t tr, to appear as god friends as ever ll 
 wmboalittle difficult; but you have a lot of 
 c aractor. Peach, and I an, .sure you „,,1 do your 
 utmost in this matter,' ' 
 
 ■I would do anything for you,' replied r.,„h 
 k.-m. her elder sister, and then she ran out cf' 
 the room. 
 
 Nina went to the window and looked out 
 ■It .3 rather puzzling,' .,he said to herself ■! 
 aLncst wish now I had never begun it. The situation 
 W.11 be a httle strained; but I think we can carry 
 things through all right, and of course in the end 
 Rosaleen m«,st yield. We m„.,t have a meet!,.- of 
 «.o Powers. Ken can act for me. and P^e^or 
 Eo^aleen and thus matters may be brought to an 
 .^"e-I hope a peaceful one. I shall talk the tldng 
 out with Ken this evening. Oh, what a lovely 
 P e How peaceful it seems ! It is rather ludicrous 
 
 but It sluin't interfere with our happy time.' 
 She ran downstairs, resolved to banish all gloom. 
 The downstairs arrangements had been made also 
 
 w..h a view to the comfort of the two families; the 
 
 .!i' 
 
 •V ■ 
 
150 
 
 PATIENCE LArnFIKD. 
 
 mm I 
 
 iff 1' 
 
 Si U.. 
 
 whole of tlic cciitro of the house vviis fjjivcn up to 
 Hpiieious Hittin;;-i'oojiiH. Some of these Hittin^-roonis 
 wore for the niuUial uccomrnoflation of t!ie Odd.s 
 iiixl the I'jvens ; but some, on the other luiud, were 
 for the Odds anrl Horiio for the Evens alone. There 
 was a delightful little houdoir wliich no one specially 
 claimed, and which Nina bcgi^'ed slie might he 
 allowed to have fo' her own private use. Tin's was 
 allowed, and ,she be^^an makinu' arrani^cments im- 
 mediately, carrying down from ujjstairs lier favourite 
 books, her work materials, her drawing portfolio, 
 and other personal matters. Hhc put out her favourite 
 photographs on the mantelpiece, and, st'pping through 
 the open window, pi-ked some mignonette and sweet- 
 peas ;'?id h' Uotropi >o till tlie vases with. She was 
 in raptures with her room, and had almost forgotten 
 all ab"'(t the (|ijanvl when Pt ch came back, 
 
 'I can't hnd Fred anywhere,' Puch said. 'I 
 have looked and loo' -d, hvJ. he is nox-here to be 
 found. What r h- happened?' 
 
 'Oh, my de, 1\. >., this is a large house, and 
 there are extensive grounds. Why ,.ould not Fred 
 have run away all by himself?' 
 
 'Do you think Fred has gone to visit the Evens?' 
 asked Peach in a low, awe-struck voice. 
 
 'Fred go to visit our enemies?' rt'idied Nina. 
 'He would not be <piite bO mean. Doii't bo silly, 
 
child, 
 him.' 
 
 I'ATIKNCE I.ArciirKI). 151 
 
 All! there in Ken. I want to talk to 
 
 ' An.I there is Malcoln.. Perhaps he will let .n. 
 walk about wia hi.n for a littl./ said Peuch 'I 
 
 declare I 'ni horrid lo.ioly. I do wish ' n„fc ,,„ 
 
 chd not utter the words, for thwe had con.e a look 
 of reproach into Nina's blue eyes which the little 
 gjrl could never withstand. 
 
 Nina went up to Ken. linked her hand throu^dx 
 his arm. and bec.an to talk earnesth-. He looked 
 at her in some surprise, then nodded his head, and 
 a pleased expression crossed his face. 
 
 'It would be the best thin, possible.' he said. 
 'How soon will you piopose it?' 
 
 ' You must propose it.' answered Nina. ' You must 
 go and have a talk with Prudence; .he k the eldest 
 on Rosaleen's side, and you are the eM.-.t on n.y 
 side. You can make any proposals you like; and 
 the proposals are to be laid before Rosaleon and 
 "'o, and we two are to decide. You may as well 
 be quick about it, for things are rather strained; 
 and, for my part, I should be glad to have peace 
 in our camps.' 
 
 •Oh dea. : oh dear!' said Ken; 'it is all the most 
 l-d.crous thing from first to last, and vet it has 
 contrived to make us all seriously n.isorable.' 
 
 ' I hope not,' replied Nina. ' Nothing can make me 
 
 %■ 
 
152 
 
 if: I 
 
 \i 3' 
 
 inr 
 
 i 
 
 !-:-" a 
 
 I'ATIKNCE LAITQHED. 
 
 seriously tni.somble in such air, in sucli a .larlin^^ 
 old i)laco; and wo have .seven long weeks, Ken 
 —oh. Ken! think of it— in this pure, exquisite, 
 lovely country. Do you suppose a little girl like 
 the Dark Rosaleen can cast a shadow over such a 
 time?' 
 
 ' It seems very like it,' .said Kenneth ; ' but I am 
 glad I have got .somtthing to do. I'll go and have 
 a search round for Prudence now.' 
 
 He went ofi* at once, crossing the sunny lawn 
 where the hayniakers were to.s.sing the hay, and 
 entered another tit'ld on the farther .side. Meanwhile 
 Nina paced up and down. She w^as always a very 
 hearty, merry girl; she was the ringleader in all 
 sorts of fun and pleasure, and for a moment or two 
 she could scarcely realise that, with a lot of children 
 in the place, she was absolutely alone. She felt a 
 little dreary; .she could .scarcely account for it. 
 Presently her mother came out. 
 
 'Why, my dear Nina,' she said, 'where are the 
 others ? ' 
 
 'Ken was with me ju.st now; he has gone to look 
 for Prudence,' replied Nina. 
 
 'Oh, indeed! It is very odd that none of the 
 Freres have come to welcome you. I cannot under- 
 stand it.' 
 
 'The children may have mistaken the time when 
 
when 
 
 PATlLNCt LAUGHED. 153 
 
 we were cominn.. mother. I will have a look for 
 them myself.' 
 
 'Would you like me to come with you. darlinc. ?' 
 
 •Very much indeed, mummy. Let us go into the 
 
 gardens first; I have not seen them yet. Never 
 
 '"ind the Freres; M-e will have ..nou.d, of them 
 
 fiurmy the next seven weeks, in all conscience ' 
 
 Mrs Carlingford lai.l her hand on her tall 
 daughter's urn, and they went in th. direction of 
 the larcje fruit an.l vegetable gardens, which, sur- 
 rounded by tl.eir high brick walls, were to be foun.l 
 on the left of the nutnsion They entered the first 
 of these gardens by a small postern door. Every- 
 thing was lovely, fascinating, delightful; and Nina 
 forgot the Freres, an 1 r-an about looking at one 
 luscious fruit-tree, or one rose-bush covered with 
 blossom, after another. She gave little shouts of 
 delight. Her mother followed her more slowly At 
 last they found the.nselves just in front of a small 
 .summer-house, a.d went in atid sat down. Nina 
 took her handkerchief to wipe the moisture from 
 her heated forehead, and Mrs Carlingford glanced at 
 her. 
 
 'Is anything the matter with you, darling?' she 
 inquired. 
 
 'Matter? What do you mean, mother?' 
 
 'I don't know,' said Mrs Carlingford. 'I do not 
 
 > 1 
 
 III 
 
154 
 
 PATIENCK LAUGHED. 
 
 ^' 1, 
 
 
 |i 
 
 I 1 
 
 exactly know what I think; I only wonder if we 
 did wrong to come here.' 
 
 'But why. mother r It is such a lovely place, 
 
 and ' — 
 
 'That's just it, xNina. It is a lovely place; hut 
 lovely places, and beautiful houses, and exquisite 
 grounds, and oardens like these do not brine, happi- 
 ness. I have noticed for sotne time ' 
 
 'What, mother r said Nina in a low tone. 
 
 'Tliat you and the Freres are not the frien.ls von 
 used to be,' 
 
 'Oh, we are very good friends, mother-verv 
 
 good.' "^ 
 
 'Is that true, my darlino-?' 
 
 Nina paused for a moment. It was against the 
 rules that the grown-ups shoul.l know anythino- 
 of the quarrel between the Odds and tlie Evens" 
 but suddenly it occurred to her that she micdit do 
 well to confide in her mother a little way. She took 
 her hand. 
 
 'Mummy,' she said. 
 
 'Yes, dearest.' 
 
 'There is something, but I hope it will soon be 
 all over; and I want you not to speak of it, and 
 not to notice it. Only, if we are not nlwavs o.„,sb- 
 mg together. Prue and I. as we used to be in the 
 old times, it is not that we do not love each other 
 
 I 
 
 .1 
 
 i 
 
der if we 
 'ly place, 
 
 •ICO ; but 
 exqiiisito 
 ig bappi- 
 
 snds you. 
 er — very 
 
 linst tlio 
 
 tnytliinjT 
 
 Evcnf 
 
 s; 
 
 light do 
 ^he took 
 
 soon be 
 it, and 
 
 '.s gi I sh- 
 in the 
 
 h otlier 
 
 i 
 
 PATIENCE LAUGHED. 
 
 15.J 
 
 just as nuK-h as ever. It nmy be wrong, motlier, 
 or it niay be riglit; but tlie tiling that is })etweon 
 the Fren.-s and us must go on now until_oh ; I 
 cuuiot tell you how lono-, mother; only yon must 
 t-rn t mo, and you must take no notice, and you 
 must not ask any rjuostions.' 
 
 'I alvvavs havo trusted you, Nina; and if you 
 can assure mo that there is nothing wrong at all 
 in this, then' 
 
 'I do not think there is anything wrong,' replied 
 Nina very slowly. She looked thoughtful ; a puzzled 
 expression visited her eyes. 
 
 'I mean it for right,' .he said more slowly: 'it 
 may be wrong, but I mean it for right, and it 
 must go on, mother, just for the present; and, 
 please, please, take no notice.' 
 
 ' You have trusted me, and I will take no notice,' 
 answered Mrs Carlir.gford ; 'but I shall be luappier, 
 much happier, when you tell me that the cloud, 
 whatever it is, is re.noved. I wish, however,' 
 that you had given me even this small confidence 
 earlier.' 
 
 •Why 80, mother?' 
 
 'Because I should not have acceded to my dear 
 friend Mrs Frere's request. T should not have come 
 to the same house with the children if I ha.l known 
 what 3^ou have just told me.' 
 
 ii' H 
 
I ! ' r 
 
 Rl= ' 
 
 tm- 
 
 156 
 
 PATIENCE LAUGHED. 
 
 'It will be all right, mummy; it is, after all, the 
 best thing possible. It will bring things to a crisis; 
 that is all we want. Now do— do let us talk of 
 something else.' 
 
 'Yes, I will, if you can assure me you are 
 happy.' 
 
 'I am.' answered the girl. 'Let us talk about 
 that time when Ken and I shall be in London with 
 Aunt Julia.' 
 
 'By the way, Nina,' said her mother, 'your Aunt 
 Julia wants to spend part of the holidays here.' 
 Nina frowned. 
 
 'You would like her to come, would you not, 
 dearest ? ' 
 
 'Yes, and no,' she replied. 'Aunt Julia, you 
 know, mummy, is rather quizzical and rathc^r curious. 
 I love her with all my heart; but she must not 
 inquire too deeply into our ways. She must not 
 come into our children's kingdom; that is what I 
 mean, mummy. Even you, dearest darling, must not 
 come in there ; it is our own kingdom, and we must 
 have it to ourselves.' 
 
 •Quite so. I can make an excuse not to have 
 her,' replied Mrs Carlingford. ' I am glad you have 
 spoken, Nina; and now, remember that I trust you 
 to do right, not wrong—right, not wrong. That is 
 tile main thing.' 
 
PATIENCE LAUGHED. 
 
 167 
 
 'I will try, mother,' answered the girl very 
 gravely. 
 
 She and her mother chatted together for a little 
 longer, and then went back to the house. Standing 
 in the porch was Patience. The colour flew into her 
 face when she saw Nina; she ran up to her. 
 Nina ran to her too, and clasped lier hand. They 
 held each other's hands very tightly, but neither 
 girl spoke. Mrs Carlingford watched them; the 
 anxiety in her heart grew greater as she saw the 
 peculiar way in which they met. 
 
 'Not a bit like children,' she said to herself. 
 'What is wrong? It is dreadful not to know, and 
 yet I must trust my little girl.' 
 
 'Would you like to show me over the grounds?' 
 asked Nina just at that moment in her pleasant 
 voice. Something in the tone relieved Mrs Car- 
 lingford, who went and sat near Mrs Frere in 
 the big hall. 
 
 The girls walked across the lawn side by side. 
 
 'It is so funny about the childr.n,' said Mrs 
 Frere. 'They have all oeen away; even tea has 
 not brought them back. I cannot account for it' 
 
 'Oh, Patience was here a momeno ago,' answered 
 Mrs Carlingford. 'She has ju.st crossed the lawn 
 with Nina.' 
 
 'Then thut is riirht' 
 
 ^^•,«L*mif«. s^a. -.f 
 
II 
 
 158 
 
 TATiENCE LArauv.n. 
 
 Meanwhile tlio two girls were talking in low 
 tones together. 
 
 'You have conic, Nina,' sai.l Patience. 'We arc 
 absolutely puzzled what to do. We thought it all 
 so strange this inoi-iiing that wo resolved to ^o oil' 
 l>y ourselves; hut wo cannot do that ahva^s; wo 
 uiust often nioet; wo must often talk.' 
 
 'Yes/ replica I Nina, 'Wo can talk on oivlinary 
 matters; we must not talk on conlidential matters. 
 That is quite outside the rules of warfare.' 
 
 'Shall we have subjects, then, to talk on?' asked 
 Patience, her eyes brightening. 'I don't mind a 
 bit if I really know what to do.' 
 
 'When we walk together, as M^e must somo- 
 timos, we will discuss a special subject. We can 
 talk about the beauties of Nature on the present 
 occasion.' 
 
 Patience bit her lip, looked full at Nina, and 
 then, all of a sudden— she did not know why — 
 burst out lauirhinfr. 
 
I 
 
 T59 
 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 SPONGE-CAKES, 
 
 EANWHILE tlio two little girls Rosalcen 
 and Amy hud o-ono off by thomselvcs. 
 Thoy had gone away quite early that 
 morning, having begged of cook to 
 give them something to cat. 8he hnd put up a 
 few cakes and a bottle of milk in a little basket; 
 and, contented with this simple fare, they had run 
 away by themselves. Tliey had consulted no one 
 as to their doings. At last they found themselves 
 in a field which was on that warm summer day the 
 peiiection of all playgrounds. On one side it was 
 s'ujjtered by overhanging beech-trees; on the other 
 sJup tha sun shone and the grass looked a wonder- 
 fully vivid green. llosaleen and Amy sat down 
 under the shade of one of the trees. Amy took out 
 hor spelliiig-book, and began to amuse herself with 
 her fnvfasrite occupation; Rosaleen lay full ]< ngth 
 
 :■!'! !■ 
 
160 
 
 SPONGE CAKES. 
 
 ft- .<(>' ' 
 
 ■',(! I 
 
 on the grass, l.olding a story book before her eyes. 
 After a time Amy looked up and saw that her little 
 companion was sound asleep. Rosaleen slept for 
 over an hour; then she started up, rubbing her dark 
 mrea and looking in some bewilderment about her. 
 
 'I've had a horrid dream,' she said. 
 
 ' Oh, you 're always having horrid dreams,' replied 
 Amy; 'and I'm not a bit surprised. I have come 
 to the conclusion that you arc a very wicked little 
 girl.' 
 
 *0h, indeed!' answered Rosaleen. 'Well, I like 
 being wicked— so there!' 
 
 Amy gazed at her in mild surprise. 
 
 'If you would but think of your education,' she 
 said plaintively, 'all that you have got to learn; 
 in particular, your spelling. Now, I wonder if you 
 could spell "equilibiium."' 
 
 'I don't even know what it means,' answered 
 Rosaleen; 'and, as to spelling it, I'm not jjoing to 
 try.' 
 
 'I can spell it most beautifully,' said Amy. 'Do 
 you think you could spell " equestrian "—that s not 
 so difficult-or "equivalent"? Do try and spell 
 " equivalent." Begin " e-qui- "—now go on.' 
 
 'If you ask me another word I'll box your ears.' 
 replied Rosaleen. 'If there is a thing under the mm 
 I hate it's spellinir. It's vorv nosf^, ir, .....ii ».j 
 
 >JI 
 
SPONGE-CAKES. 
 
 161 
 
 'Do 
 
 - not 
 spell 
 
 that's what I tliink— that is, if it makes a person 
 turn into the sort of girl you are.' 
 
 'Oh, there, there!' said Amy; 'if we begin to 
 quarrel amongst ourselves we shall have a sad time. 
 I wonder,' she added plaintiveh^ 'if the Carlino-- 
 fords have come yet.' 
 
 'I don't know, and I don't care,' replied Rosaleen. 
 
 'I believe you do care very much,' answered 
 Amy. 
 
 'Well, I don't. Let's have lunch; I'm very 
 peckish.' 
 
 'You do use such queer words — peckish; it is so 
 vulgar.' 
 
 'I'll say something worse if you correct n)e,' 
 answered Kosaleen. 'Here, open the basket, and 
 let's btii'in.' 
 
 Amy had thought a good deal about the lunch. 
 She had considered to herself how she would make 
 it Itot a long time, and how much fun slie and her 
 spirited little sister woidd extract out of it; l^ut 
 Rosaleen, for some reason, was not in the mood for 
 any of Amy's ideas. She clutched at the basket, 
 opened it rudely, took out a bag of sponge-cakes, 
 and began to munch away. 
 
 'If we were at home,' she began, 'we'd have 
 chicken and peas and new potatoes, and strawberries, 
 dum't like nothing but sponge cakes and milk.' 
 
 Th« Odds and the Evens. 
 
 K 
 
162 
 
 SPONGE-CAKES. 
 
 m 
 
 «i •- ' (I 
 
 'You are cool,' answered Amy. 'It was your 
 wish to come here, not mine.' 
 
 ' I had to be away when she came,' said Rosaleen. 
 ' You forget that I 'm the general on the side of the 
 Evens. I could not be by when tlie general of the 
 Odds arrived.' 
 
 ' Well, it 's a great pity, that 's all I can say.' 
 
 ' I don't think so. I 'm enjoying myself monstrous 
 well,' said Rosaleen. 'You're always sucli a dis- 
 contented thing.' 
 
 Amy began to whisper softly to herself a (juoerer 
 word than she had yet thought of. ' Fissirostral,' 
 she said. She began to spell it — 'Fissi-,' then she 
 looked at Rosaleen. 'Rosaleen,' she said, 'do you 
 know what " fissirosti-al " means ? ' 
 
 ' I don't want to know,' answered Rosaleen, munch- 
 ing another sponge-cake. 
 
 'Well, it's having a bill with a very wide gape; 
 swallows have fissirostral bills. Isn't it lovely to 
 know all about those things ? ' 
 
 ' Hateful,' said Rosaleen ; she sprang suddenly to 
 her feet. ' I wonder if the Carlingfords have come ? ' 
 she cried. 
 
 *0h, are you curious?' said Amy. 'Do, do say 
 that you are curious.' 
 
 'I'm not a bit curious,' answered Rosaleen, sub- 
 
 • J • • 
 
 
1 
 
 SP()N(JK-CAKES. 
 
 163 
 
 your 
 
 .* 
 
 'Well, I am. Would you inind fiwrully il' I went 
 to the ^n-ip in tliu liedyo and looked thruu<,di ? I can 
 jUHt <,'et a peep of the house, and I could tell if tliey 
 had come.' 
 
 Rcsaleen did not reply. SJie sliolitly turned her 
 back on Amy, and began to investigate the contents 
 of the basket. There were several kinds of cakes 
 and a good supply of milk, but nothing more. 
 
 Amy, having satisfied herself as regards cake and 
 milk, rose slowly, took Rosaleen's silence as permis- 
 sion, and ran across the field to the aforesaid gap. 
 There she stood and peered through. After a time 
 she came on tiptoe back to Rosaleen. 
 •They have come,' she said. 
 ' Who have come ? ' 
 'The Odds.' 
 
 'Let them,' answered Rosaleen. 
 'They have all come,' coutiiuied Amy. 'Tliey are 
 wandering about; I saw Nina walking across the 
 grass with her mother in the direction of the fruit 
 garden, and — and do yom know who is coming across 
 the field towards us ? ' 
 'No, I'm sure I don't.' 
 'It's dear, dear little Fred.' 
 
 'Then let dear, dear little Fred keep away,' said 
 Rosaleen. 'He's one ,:" the enemies; he had better 
 make himself scarce- -Uiat s ail I know/ 
 
M i 
 
 164 
 
 SPONGi:-CAKES. 
 
 Amy looked incjui.sitively at Roisaleoj, and with 
 a question in lier eyes. She did not ask it, how- 
 ever, .^he stood quite still, a few feet from her 
 little sister. 
 
 'Why don't you sit down and make yourself 
 pleasant? Get at your spelling if you want to; 
 don't stand just behind nic' 
 
 Amy east longing eyes at her spol ling-book. 
 Tiierc were some delicious words, longer than she 
 had yet come across, to be mastered. She felt tliat 
 tu;!,' knowledge of the orthography of tie language 
 was getting profound. She glanced again at Rosa- 
 leen. Rosaleen, having finished her lunch, lay down 
 on the grass. 
 
 'I'm going to sleep,' she said. 'It's very dull in 
 the country. I don't care a bit for the country. I 
 don't think it pretty; I think it's ugly. Don't 
 stand at my back. Amy ; sit down or go away.' 
 
 After a further reflection Amy decided to do the 
 latter. She went softl}^ very softl}', almost on tiptoe, 
 back to the gap in the hedge. At the other side 
 of the gap she saw what somehow she had expected 
 to see — the wistful, anxious, longing face of Fred 
 Carlingford. Fred was as anxious to meet Amy as 
 Amy was to meet him. His eyes shone with 
 pleasure when he saw her. 
 
 * He would learn to spell " fissirostral," ' she said 
 
 i 
 
SPONGE-CAKES. 
 
 1()5 
 
 .4 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 Wu.,f„l wunl.,. And l.o'„ »uch a nico b„j, „„a 
 
 "'. ":™' ''"""■'""J «- ^i it was all Ni„a» 
 
 uoin<r. 
 
 ■Fred!' .said Amy i„ a sort of bu...,t of irrepros- 
 Nible desifo. •Fml! Fred!' 
 
 •Kut I „m.stn't (alk to yon,' ropli„d Fi™! 
 
 •>fo ono will know; .aid A„,y. .c.,„. i„«id. tl.o 
 Ik (Jge, quick ! ' 
 
 'But I rlarc not,' answered Fred, 
 
 'Lit do coward!' .said Amy. 'Who's to know?' 
 
 'No one,' replied Fred. 
 
 'Is anyliody following you down the field?' 
 'Oh no, no!' 
 
 ;Then come ,,uick. Here's a lovely, lovely place; 
 It a behind this holly-bush. Come quick ! ' 
 
 In an instant Amy. a stronger character than 
 Fred, had seized his all-too-willing hand, had drao^ed 
 him across th. field, and they were both seTted 
 at the farthe. side of the holly-bush. 
 
 'Can yon spell " tissirostral "? ' asked Amy at once 
 'No,' answercKl Fred. His heart was beatino-- J^e 
 put up his hnnd to his forehead to wipe away the 
 moisture. 
 
 'I cannot spell anything.' he said. 'I seem to 
 grow stupider and stup-^der. You could teach me a 
 iot; but, of course, you cau'c.' 
 
R/i-'J 
 
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 'Oh, but I could,' sjiid Amy; 'nnd I — I love to.' 
 
 'But you nui^'t not, you dare not. Oh, wh.at 
 would Rosalocn say if she saw me?' 
 
 'And what wouM Nina say if .she .saw me? But 
 wc'ic hot'i in tlio same boat, Fred; and it often 
 happens in I'l.'al wai'faro.' 
 
 'What? What?' asked the child. 
 
 'A meiiiher o" t!i.' (iieiiiy's camp meets anotlier 
 memlier of t!ie oUi r (;:i-!p, and they — they arc real 
 friends in their hearts. You aro my fiiend in your 
 heart — aren't yon Fred ? ' 
 
 ' Of course,' answered Fred ; ' and I don't want this 
 horrid (piarrel.' 
 
 'And yet it is all about you,' said Amy. 
 
 'Oh, bother!' replied Fred. 
 
 'Well, I think it's bother too,' continued Amy. 
 ' We could have such a lovely, lovely time in the 
 country now. We enjoy it like anything; only, 
 Nina says no, and the Dark Rosaleen .says no, and 
 we are thoroughly wretched. Look here, Fred, it 
 can't be wrong; I know it can't.' 
 
 'What?' said Fred. 
 
 'Suppose,' said Amy, bending close to him, 'we 
 meet every morning early, before anybody is up. 
 There's a lovely pear-tree just outside Rosaleen's 
 and my window; and Rosaleen sleeps sounder than 
 any top. and I alway> wake early in the morning; 
 
 {.j 
 
love to.' 
 Oh, what 
 
 ine ? But 
 1 it often 
 
 s jinotlier 
 y file real 
 1(1 in your 
 
 wfuit this 
 
 SPONOE-CAKES. 
 
 167 
 
 ued Amy. 
 ne in the 
 ng; only, 
 \s no, and 
 , Fred, it 
 
 him, ' we 
 ^y is up, 
 Rosaleon's 
 nder tlian 
 
 morning; 
 
 ™.lnigot„„tof,„y.,,„,„„,_i,, „, 
 
 the pear-foo. A„,i if ,„„ ,, ,„ J ^^ 
 
 el.n. on to-w„ co„l,l ,„eot, ,t„d „,o e„„M „o ^^^ 
 by o„r,c.:vo» „„,! do our ..pellin..- ^ 
 
 'Is it to I,e only spoiling?' ,,,sk„| f,,j . 
 rather (lubions voice, 
 
 to'l:;'"'^ WrM; replied Frod. •! don't .„„, 
 
 ■ But at least yon wonld like to he able to, spell 
 S"PP°- yo" -vere going i„ fo,, , e„n,p<.ti ive 
 xan,.na ,on and the examiner asked you to „ , 
 
 Jerr;"' ^" ^°" ^"•■''' ■-- '-^- -■" ^-o.. 
 
 •I 'spect I'd be ploughed/ aaswered Fred 
 'There now; you wouldn't like to be ploughed- 
 would you ? ' i ft "-^ 
 
 'No' said Fred. 
 
 'Well, then, I'll teaeh you how to spoil that word 
 and rnany, many others; and I'll help j-ou witb 
 your history. We'll h^ „. • • 
 
 as ever w ^proving to eaeli other 
 
 as ever we can. 
 
 'But how can I improve you ? ' asked Fred 
 Amy thought for a moment. 
 
 * 
 
 I 
 
 Pin 
 
168 
 
 SPONUE-CAKES. 
 
 itjJ 
 
 
 'You i'.ii<;'1it icU in(> liow you nifuiaL,fo that horrid 
 football,' Hho said. 'I'm not interested in games, 
 but you are.' 
 
 'Oh, I'll tell you lul about it,' answered Fred, liis 
 dark eyes sparkling. ' What place shall v/e meet 
 at ? But won't it be awi'ully mean ? ' he added. 
 
 ' I don'^ think so. Oh, good gracious ! there 's 
 Dark Rosaleen ; she 's moving about. If we arc seen 
 we are lost. Creep in under the holly- bush, Fred — 
 ({uick, quick, (juick ! ' 
 
 Fred, quite as frightened as Amy, struggled in 
 under the liolly-bush, pulling lii.s legs after him. 
 He was much scratched, and his legs began to bleed. 
 Amy lay down on the ground underneath the large 
 bush, and Fred curled himself up as well as ' 
 could. 
 
 'She won't find us here,' gasped Amy. 'Don't 
 speak a word for your life.' 
 
 'It's you that are speaking,' replied Fred. 'Oh! 
 I am torn and bleeding. I 'ni in dreadful agony. 
 I think I 'm bleeding to death.' 
 
 ' Not you,' answered Amy. ' Think of " fissirostral," 
 and stay quiet.' 
 
 Fred felt that he hated ' Fissirostral,' whoever ho 
 was; he really supposed that the word belonged to 
 some unknown man. 
 
 Rosaleen walked abou'., calling her sister. Pre- 
 
 :m 
 
/hilt lu)rri(l 
 in games, 
 
 I Frerl, liis 
 v/e meet 
 added. 
 .s! there's 
 e are seen 
 sh, Fred — 
 
 uggled in 
 after him. 
 n to bleed, 
 the large 
 '■ell as ' 
 
 '. ' Don't 
 
 -ed. ' Oh ! 
 :ul agony. 
 
 ssirostral," 
 
 hoever ho 
 jlonged to 
 
 iter. Pre- 
 
 SPONOE-CAKEs. 
 
 IG!) 
 
 sontly, hearing no response, she sat down ; u„d Amy 
 utter a long tin.e, divu herself inna xuuhv the 
 «liolter of the holly-tree, and .losired Fred to do 
 hkewise, and told hi,n not to n.ind his wonnds. 
 
 'They will heal in no time,' she len.urke.l. ' Ju-o.-y 
 boy in the country g.ts scratehed ; it's nothino-' 
 
 'It hurts a good iot, though, all the same,'^ said 
 rred. 
 
 'Well, I won't have you for n.y lu.lf-twin if you 
 grumble about things like that,' replied An.v. 'Now 
 go back through the gap in the hedge, an-l no one 
 will know.' 
 
 'And arc we to meet to-morrow morning?' asked 
 the little boy. 
 
 'Of course we are. Now men, off' with you.' 
 Fred scampered away; and Amy, after a judicious 
 tune had elapsed, went to her little sister. 
 ' Where have you been ? ' asked Rosalecn. 
 ' Oh, wandering about,' said Amy. ' It 's very dull 
 I wish this ((uanvl would come to an end.' 
 
 ' It 's no good your wishing,' replie-I Kosaleen. « My 
 knees are stiffer than ever.' 
 
 'Bother you and your knees,' said Amy. 'We 
 ba.l best go back now, and have a proper tea;' and 
 Rosaleen, by no mean,, unwilling, and thoroughly 
 hungry-for the cakes and n.ilk had not satisfied a 
 very voracious appetite-rose to comply. 
 
 if 
 
 II 
 
 n 
 
170 
 
 SI'ONGE-CAKES. 
 
 m 
 
 Ah the littlo Hi.sters wero cimsing the field they 
 met Prudence and Kennetli uallci.ig to^-ether side 
 hy Hide and talkin-r earnestly. 
 
 •Wliy,' exclaimed Kosaleen, 'what docs thin 
 mean ? ' 
 
 Jvenneth no sooner saw Rosalecn than ho drew 
 up, and motioned to Prudence to do the same. 
 
 'I am olad we have met you, Kosaleen,' he said. 
 'We want to say something.' 
 
 'What?' asked Kosaleen. She tried to stand on 
 her dignity, but it was rather difHcult to do so with 
 tall Kenneth looking at her with slightly quizzical 
 eyes. 
 
 'Do you know what a truce means?' he asked. 
 
 'No; I am sure I don't,' answered Kosaleen. 
 
 'Well, it's a warlike term; you know we are 
 at war, we Odds against you Evens. We want to 
 have a truce or an armistice.' 
 
 'Oh, 1 am sure I don't know what you are 
 talking about,' said Kosaleen. 
 
 'Spell it,' whispered Amy to her sister. 
 
 ' I won't,' cried Kosaleen. ' If you ask me to spell 
 another word I'll box your ears.' 
 
 Amy spelt it over softly to herself. 
 
 'I wonder if there is an "s" or a "c" in the 
 last syllable,' she said. She looked full up at 
 Kenneth. 
 
171 
 
 field they 
 ^'otlier Hide 
 
 does tin's 
 
 1 lie drew 
 
 iJiine. 
 
 I,' ho said. 
 
 ► stand on 
 Jo so with 
 7 quizzical 
 
 3 asked, 
 leen. 
 
 "f we arc 
 5 want to 
 
 yon are 
 
 e to spell 
 
 in the 
 11 up at 
 
 SPONGE-CAKES. 
 'What is itr asked KeniK.-th. 
 
 *I.s th.ro an ".s"ora " c - in tho lust sylluhl. d' 
 arniistice i ' 
 
 'A "c" or eouisc,' replied Kenned,; 'but don't 
 interrupt me now, Amy. Wo want to l.uvc an 
 anuLstice or truce. Tiuit means tliat for a time-lor 
 a short time, we'll .say for twenty-four honrs-we 
 cease all hostilities ; we become friends as it wore ; 
 we talk to one another; there is no trouble. During 
 that time Prudence and I and one other member 
 on each side meet and consult wliat is to be done to 
 bring the great (juarrel to an end. We want the 
 truce to begin, if possible, to-morrow morning, and 
 we wish to know, Rosaleen, if you are agreeable.' 
 
 'Oh, I'm quite agreeable,' answered Rosaleen; 
 'only you need not think that I'll be friendly, for 
 I'm bitter cut through my very heart; and whether 
 there are twenty armistices or not, I '11 never, never 
 yield. That's all. You can have your tr'uce or 
 armistice or whatever you call it, only don't sup- 
 pose that I'm going to yield.' 
 
 'We'll see about that,' said Kennetli, 'and we'll 
 begin the truce to-morrow morning. To-morrow the 
 Odds and the Evens can be quite as friendly and 
 as much together as if there were no battle 
 between us.' 
 
 'It must end on the following morning,' remarked 
 
 >.: ii 
 
172 
 
 r... ,. 
 
 SPONOE-CAKES. 
 
 W.o„. 'Iti^onlyfo,. ewe„t3-f„„r,,o,,, an,, 
 I-»oll,Ithinkni,,<,,,,,.^. ,.„,.^,,^_,^^^, 
 
 'Oh. ,I„„'t talk no„.scn.s.; .said Kc.„n.ti,. ■Y„„.,| 
 bo ngl,t ,.,a,i to talk to F.-0.1, you know, andto 
 P ach. Lot » I,avo one J.appy .lay, wln.tevu- con,o. 
 fir Cor, 
 
 And Ro^lcon, her dark 0,0., l,V,,ti„„ „, i, she 
 felt a sudden drawing towards those to whon, .she 
 w,« an enemy, relented without any further 
 
 ! 'i 
 
 PI 
 
ir ho\ ca, and 
 lay.' 
 
 "'til. ' You 'II 
 now, and to 
 Htevfci- comes 
 
 173 
 
 'ff a.s if sho 
 o wlioni slio 
 "ly further 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 JACK-IN-THE-BOX. 
 
 I '0 Dark Ko»alo™'« wi.sl,o.,. that tl,o 
 »..".st,co w„., to l,.t for thr.0 wl,„lo 
 days, ])„ring that timo the Od,k 
 and the Even., wore to a.,.,ociato „, Ih 
 -or .„oy care,, the one with the other Thov 
 
 tlore were no awl'.,! war between them- buLn ,/ 
 ^"Idect of the war they were not t , I 
 
 ,vn,.. -1 .> \\cic not to speak. TJiov 
 
 ,n ,,o„„„r ,,„,„„> to ieave that ai,ne. On v 
 «>o..e who were arranging the tern.s of the futZ 
 warfare were a„owe. to cli.eu. the snhjeet. T 
 t«o who were Anally .selected f„r thi., i„,portant 
 
 P™,e„ceo„the.*oftheEve„.. They were' , oh 
 them a .trong. deter„,inecl, reliable sort of eharae-ter 
 
II 
 
 I "1 
 
 174 
 
 JACK-IN-THE-JIOX. 
 
 
 hoy were neither of them .nven to mere impulse 
 '•"t could act on occasions with coolne.s.s und 
 con,mon-Hen,se. Rosnleen and Nina wore, of cour.se 
 to bo cor.sulted; but it wan tlavse two who wore' 
 to draw up the torn^.s of the future warfare or 
 tl»e possible peace. 
 
 MeanwliiJe the rest of the clul<lren were thoroughly 
 happy-that is, all but Rosaleen. Rosaloon, howover 
 had many misgivings in her somewhat stormy little 
 heart. She did not like the aspect of things. The 
 armistice was by no means to her taste. 
 ^ ' Either let 's be on or off/ thought resolute Rosaleen 
 Let s hate with all our hearts or love with all our 
 hearts. I don't mind which, but I hate being betwixt 
 I m a betwixt now, and I hate it.' So she woui- not 
 be very friendly with Fred; and she was decidedlv 
 snappy and disagreeable to Peach, who, glad enou..h 
 to be once again with children of her own a^e 
 had hailed the short days of the arnustice wilh 
 rejoicing. 
 
 The parents were much delighted to see the younc 
 folks chumming together, chatting together, going off 
 in couples together; an Odd linked to an Even- a 
 Carlingford with his arm thrown round a Frere's 
 waist. It was all right; there was nothing in Mrs 
 Carhngford's fears; they had vanished like so much 
 smoke. She sat down and wrote to her sister, and 
 
lore inipul.so, 
 coolness und 
 '0, of course, 
 
 wlio Wore 
 wari'uro or 
 
 e thoroughly 
 en, however, 
 itormy little 
 'kings. The 
 
 ite Ro.saleen. 
 vlth all our 
 ing betwixt. 
 ! wou^' not 
 s deciiletllv 
 ;lad cnouLdi 
 • own aue, 
 istico with 
 
 the young 
 f, going off 
 
 1 Even ; a 
 a Frere's 
 
 iig in Mrs 
 e 80 much 
 sister, and 
 
 JACK-IN-THE-BOX. jy, 
 
 told her that she would be very Had of H 
 vi^^t, but that her ,uahnswitl::l^^r^^^^^ 
 
 no..oundforZ. :z;:r!^^"^^""^^^-- 
 
 -1 very happy tog ,hor ^^ '^ ^^ ^''^"'^"^^^^ 
 
 -;^p-y;butwieen-r:rir^ 
 
 with a great deal of character Sb. ^ "^' 
 
 Wver, than the others ; ^tille ^^ 7 '"''^' 
 
 right.' '^'"' e^^^rything is all 
 
 Thus wrote Mrs Carlino-ford liHla i 
 was soon to come to pas. "'""^ ^" ^^^'^^ 
 
 On the second day, which was elected to b ., 
 occas on of a orpof ..• • . t,iected to be the 
 
 .""OS off Lj :rr '"'"" "'™* '"'™' '- 
 
 ' ^^osaieen awoke verv p'nJ«r a 
 .slept welI-e«eoJi„g,j. well- b, : ™ n " """ ■''" 
 
 I never knew lid, «„ i, , , ^ '"VKoine; 
 
 ■nadoavaliZ ffn . '"""'"' ''*'"' «''« 
 
 iio on her rosy cheeks, but in vain -Th^ 
 "'oy go; she thought; -Jaekint,,.? 
 than ever. I wonder if h. 7 '"""'"■'"'"'^ '^°"e 
 to be so ext,,.» . ^ ''™ «°' 'P""S-' "^de, 
 
 extra w,de-«waky. What a nuisance it is 
 
 kn 
 
176 
 
 JACK-IN-TIIE-noX. 
 
 to have lids with sprin-s to 'em ! There is Amy ; 
 she's nslecp. No tlum^rht of hu- .sp.>nin^. now. I 
 declare I won't stny in l.e.I any longer. It's ft 
 heautifiil, fine niornin^j; I 'H ^,(3^ ^jp- 
 
 Sh., rose, put her small brown toes on the floor, 
 and looked around her. Sho was dark herself as if 
 she were really born a little gipsy ; and perhaps 
 the wild blood in her which she had inherited from 
 some distant Irish ancestors Iielped to make her the 
 extraordinary little creature she was. She felt akin 
 to the gipsies; she had a great longing to be near 
 them. She never saw a gipsy woman pass but her 
 whole heart went out to her. Now she thought 
 and thought. 
 
 'I wonder if there are any near,' she said to herself 
 'If there are. I'd like to visit them. It wovdd do 
 no harm ; there may come a time when they will 
 want me to bo their queen. Anyhow, I think I '11 
 
 go an<l pay 'em a visit ; there nmst be some some- 
 
 whore near.' 
 
 To think, with Rosaleon, was almost always to act. 
 She accordingly dressed very quickly 
 
 'It will be a comfort,' she said to herself, as she 
 got her little red cloak out of the wardrobe-' it will 
 be a comfort when all this fuss is over, and wo are 
 fightmg as hard as we can again. They won't ..et 
 terms out of me, so they needn't think it. There 
 
I'o is Amy; 
 iii^' now. I 
 or. It H ft 
 
 11 tlio floor, 
 ersolf, as if 
 id perlmps 
 erited from 
 tke her the 
 e felt akin 
 to bo near 
 5s but her 
 10 thoiitrht 
 
 to herself. 
 
 would do 
 
 they will 
 
 think I'll 
 
 >me some- 
 
 lys to act. 
 
 !lf, as she 
 i— ' it will 
 id we are 
 won't (ret 
 k. There 
 
 JACK-fN Tin: Kox. 
 
 177 
 
 - two more ,nys of this ,.,..,d ,..„ee. I ,,,, 
 ' I '^7'' ^''^" "-'•"-«• -ith the ,..sio.s.' 
 
 «''^ needed i, .. tl: ^ .::':;? ""''''' 
 I.iif 1 , "^ **'y waiiu one 
 
 '•»'t l^ocausc she thou^dit it ..tv. Iht . . • < 
 
 '^ortij. It was perfectly oasv f,,,. i 
 
 appo,„t.,>o„t with Kre,! o„,:„„ ,, '^ . ^'•''' '" ' 
 
 roranrki„„ then, Ul, ., ■> '\"' "'*''°"t »ny ""o 
 "ii<rnt use the pear-tree- bnf ,-f o i *^ 
 
 « ........ .: „ .,:.4\:,::rr.' 's 
 
 So you are iiere ? ' sniM fi 
 shook out h,... ennnp od f ' I ''"""^ '""'^'- ^'""' 
 
 i' my han- fine and „,e.,y r .,1,0 asked. 
 
 ^^es, replied Fred • ' if . • 
 'Thaf. • w in an awful tangle.' 
 
 Jl^ats nght/ said Hosaleen • 'th-if. ! t , 
 
 (■■ 4 
 
JlllllBWIIWIW 
 
 178 
 
 JACK-IN-THE-HOX. 
 
 ( i 
 < ) 
 I « 
 
 it to bo. And wliat aro you doing here ^ Spying 
 around ? ' 
 
 ' No, I 'm not spyin;,' round,' answered Fred, get- 
 ting very red. ' We 're liaving an armistice now.' 
 
 'OJi, call it a truce,' .said Ko.salccn. 'That other 
 word was made for Amy, and I Jiate Amy's words. 
 I would like to scratch 'em all out of the dictionary. 
 I would have the dictionary very simple, all words 
 of one syllable. Amy w^ould die then; j^es, she 
 would, and I wonld watch her as she was fading 
 off. Oh ! it 's terrible the way Amy bothers one with 
 spelling.' 
 
 'Well, she does, rather,' agreed Fred, who did not 
 like to speak against Amy, and yet in his heart of 
 hearts hated her spelling craze. 
 
 ' And what are you doing here ? ' said Rosaleen. 
 ' It 's a great deal too early for little boys to be up. 
 Go back to your bed.' 
 
 'Go back to your own bed,' replied Fred, with 
 some spirit. ' You 're nearly as young as me.' 
 
 ' I 'm not ; I 'm a year older,' said Rosaleen ; ' and 
 then I'm a girl. Girls gi-ow up twice as fast as 
 boys. Girls are like mushrooms ; they grow up in 
 one night, as it were. You 're nothing but a boy. 
 You 're a slow-coa'.h — that 's what you are.' 
 
 ' It 's very mean of you in call me names while 
 the armistic<' is on,' cried Fred. 
 
 
JACK-IN-TIIE-ROX. 
 
 ? Spying 
 
 Fred, get- 
 ;c now.' 
 rhat other 
 ly's words, 
 dictionary, 
 all words 
 yes, she 
 'as fading 
 ; one with 
 
 10 did not 
 3 heart of 
 
 Rosaleen. 
 to be up. 
 
 red, with 
 
 ne.' 
 
 sen ; ' and 
 
 s fast as 
 
 »w up in 
 
 tt a boy. 
 
 lies while 
 
 179 
 
 'If you don't call it truce.' said Rosaleen, doul>Iin. 
 her fists, ' I 'll-_l '11 ' , ° 
 
 ' Oh, well-truce,' replied the httle hoy, in some 
 alarm. 
 
 'TJiat's all ri.ht,' said Rosaleen; 'you can stay 
 ""^ler this tree as Ion. as you like. An.y is fast 
 a.sleep, if you 're thinking of her. She 's not .oing 
 to be bothered with you at this 1 r.' ^ 
 
 ' But wliere arc you going ? ' asked Fred. 
 'I'm not going to tell you,' replied Rosaleen. 
 'But, oh! Rose, Rose, n)ay I not come with you? 
 It's so precious dull here. 1 got up so very, very 
 early. I do love you so much, Rose ; I think you 
 are just most beautiful.' 
 
 ' Look here,' said Rosaleen, her eyes flashincr < do 
 you mean that you really, really love me ? ' 
 'Oh! indeed I do; better than Amy almost.' 
 If there was one thing Rosaleen coveted in h.r 
 heart of hearts it was to be loved. She looked 
 straight at Fred. 
 
 'You 're rather nice for a boy,' she said. ' I u.ean 
 you are not bad. No one could compare a boy with 
 a gu'l ; but for a boy you 'I'e not bad.' 
 ' ^'^^"^^ you.' i-eplied Fred humbly. 
 ' And you really love me ? ' 
 'Yes.' 
 
 ' Look hard into my eyes and say it again.' 
 
 ■■■1 
 
180 
 
 .IA(UMN TIIIMiox. 
 
 t < 
 
 '1'.! 
 
 F.'e,l ,,i,, U.k V.,. ,,a,,l i„t„ tl. ,„„,,i„,, ,„,,, 
 i^yo^ ol Rosaloen. 
 
 'J I'>v*' you,' 1,0 ro|H,itc'(l with f(Tv,.„r. 
 'i won.l.T lu.Nv inuoh r ,sui,I Ku.saJocn. 
 'How inuclir uelioed Frod 
 
 'V»'M.' 
 
 "'Vy inc,' said Fred. 
 
 'VVould y„u d„ ..inytl.inu- I ,,„sk,.d yo„ ? ' 
 'Any(l,i„n-; ..insueivd Fred (he rash. 
 •Well, then, will you leave the Odd« and come 
 and joni u,s, tlio Evens ^ ' 
 
 ' What <Io you mean? That I an. to turn traitor ^ ' 
 niat s about it. You can pretend to belon- to 
 them but you n.u.st belon. to uh all the tin.e^ou 
 must belong to nic' 
 
 •Oh, ln,t I_tlmt ...oan., that I „,„ to be fal«o to 
 Nina and to' 
 
 'Of COU...SO it .Iocs. I£ yo„ ,ovo ,„e, wl.at ,Ioos 
 that matter? And I wi„ take yo„ wit], ,„e thi., 
 movnmg, I „,„ j,.,i„„ ^^ ^,.^.^ ^,_^ ^.^^^.^^ ^^^^^^ 
 
 t..l«y Queen expect, me, I think. I ,h„„,j„.t ^, 
 a ut s,,rp,.i.se,l if «he was ,„tti„„ ,„y ,,,^^,j_^^^- 
 icjy. Wouldn't you like to come with me?" 
 
 •Oh, awf i,lly_awfidly ! ■ said Fred. 
 
 ■If you ,lo what I wish, you are to bo a traitor 
 m the ean.p; you are to belong really to „3. You 
 are to come here every day and tell me what they 
 
 Ml I 
 
;lovviiiL' (lark 
 
 •''^''''^'-'N"nn.;-)!„x 
 
 181 
 
 ' JHhI coino 
 
 I'll tniitor?' 
 
 ) Ixilon^' to 
 
 time — you 
 
 be false to 
 
 wliat does 
 Ii nie tliis 
 lies. Tlic 
 ouldn't be 
 breakfast 
 le?' 
 
 a traitor 
 
 us. You 
 
 ^^hat they 
 
 ""' '■ ^^■•" ^•'- ..P a,.,, \ ;-^ "ir - "-y 
 
 '"'■ kn««. Will ..„„ , , """•■ «•'«' won't )„,„, 
 
 -'-yin U,e™; —V"""' "'"■'""-the 
 ""•' ""■='l"""'l.,-:illv ',,,„""■" ""' ''"'"'y « won, 
 
 said. "" ^t-ouol,t I notr ho 
 
 '^o, you oiKditiiY- , 
 
 '-- it w,» o„ .„.,;" /''"'""«'» yo"." you 
 
 ""'* ""^'■" It .„,„,, „„ ,^; '";- -y »«'i if «i,o 
 
 »»ag„iHeo„ttnun,,,,fo,,,,rr; '■'''"■'■''''''* 
 *»« must bo miick ri *'">"« rranis,. ? 
 
 «W Qnoen i. g:tUn/:;; ^ "'7 '° '"^ ^ '''^ 
 «P-tah.,boi,i„,eon; i;''tT~^''^- I 
 •■o' ""d strong, and wit., ^2tv I Z ""^ "°*<= 
 
 f ""•> "^ ""Ik, and she 
 
 If 
 
 
 Ml 
 
182 
 
 .JACK IN'-rilK 15' >X. 
 
 h E' 
 
 I 
 
 f I 
 
 iy gettiiii;- it all I'oady; auil the (Jil'-y KIul;' is 
 gcttiiiij out lu}' tlii'onc; and maylie there's a little 
 throne gettiniij ready i'ur yon, and you can sit 
 near me.' 
 
 * There arc gipsies about two miles from here,' 
 said Freil. 
 
 ' Oh, do be (juiek ! ' cried KosalecU, jumpin;^ up ami 
 down. ' We '11 go there, you and I, hind-in-hand, 
 and we'll have such a jolly time. Oh! do say 
 "yes;" be quick. You beloiii;" to me.' 
 
 'But it does seem so mean,' said Fred. 
 
 '1 call it jolly plucky. But, mean or not, I want 
 yon ; and it" you don't come 1 '11 ' 
 
 But what Rosalecn did mean to do Fred never 
 knew, for at that moment there came a rustling- 
 sound in the direction of a distant part of the 
 house ; and Rosaleen, catliing her little compani(m's 
 hand, (h-agged him (juickly into the .shrubbery. 
 
 'Now,' she said, 'you have got to .say "yes" or 
 "no." If it's "yes' ' 
 
 'Oh, yes, yes!' replied Fred; 'it's so mis'rable as 
 it is. I have no fun at all ; and Peach, who ouLdit 
 to be fond of me, .seeing I am her own twin^ never 
 looks at me, and is so scornful.' 
 
 ' You won't be dull when you bcloncr to us ; it 
 will be woiiderfully exciting. You'll be of gi'eat 
 use,' said Rosaleen. 
 
y KiiiL;' is 
 
 's ii lilllo 
 
 u can sit 
 
 roin here,' 
 
 n<^- up fin<l 
 id-in-hand, 
 li ! do .say 
 
 ot, I want 
 
 i'red never 
 a rustlino- 
 rt of the 
 ompanion's 
 berv. 
 
 (I >> 
 
 yes or 
 
 lis'ruble as 
 wlio ouf^ht 
 win., never 
 
 to us ; it 
 of great 
 
 JACK-IN-THE-BOX. ^^^ 
 
 to you. I do lovo ,o« and A„,y tremendoun.' 
 
 You ,„u.,t love „,e ,™eh better than Amy. A,nv 
 s «l very well-. ,^ ,,„,, „f „.,„,^ ^^ ;' 
 
 ton oV"" T' ''"''''■" «™'™'' i™, ,r,,j 
 
 P^jeo.t>™,;»dt,. victory wil, be „,i,.e in 
 "s „,,f„..e, and you'll be ,nj. captain when eve,,- 
 
 tlnng IS won. Now dron „„ , •* 
 
 «ow, (Hop on one knee and say 
 
 Lioge lady, I belonc. to vou" Ti,. , 
 
 *op on one knee.' ° I'^re, go down; 
 
 ciously gave him her hand. *" 
 
 ■Rise, Frederick.' she .(.q id .T„ . 
 >ou as a member of my army.' 
 
 Thi.s ceremony being completed, Fred -with an 
 X traordmary added load on hi. mind, althou 
 a exacted it to be . li.bt a, a featl.er-aJ: 
 
 ot the gipsies' camp. 
 'Why do you love gipsies so much?' he a»ked. 
 C.'3 I belong to them. Do you know what I 
 tl'.nk ? Rosaleen stooped towards her little con, 
 pan,on-she was l.a.f a head ta„er-and said in > 
 
 ™U>..a. c voice,. I think I was stole from the gi. sit 
 when I wa., a little, wee, wee baby. I believe , am 
 
 wnac 1 think. Never minrJ • t i 
 
 ^>evei niind, I love em, and I want 
 
 I 
 
184 
 
 JACK-IN-TIIE !!OX. 
 
 :i; 
 
 to sec 'em. Are you quite sure there are gipsies 
 here ? ' 
 
 ' Of course there are,' said Fred. ' We took a drive 
 yesterday evening', and we passed all their tents. 
 There were three or four vans and a lot of tents, 
 and a lot of children playing about in the fields, 
 and as brown as berries.' 
 
 'As brown as nic ? ' asked Rosalecn. 
 
 'Yes,' replied Fred; 'only not half so handsome.' 
 
 ' Yon 're a very nice little boy, Fi-cderick,' said 
 Rosaleen in an emphatic voice. She patted him 
 condescendingly on his sliouldcr. ' I am going to 
 make great use of you, Fred,' she added. 
 
 'Thank you, Rosaleen.' 
 
 'You'll never be lonely again; you'll have an 
 awful lot to do.' 
 
 ' Only, I hope,' said Fred in a shaking voice, ' that 
 Ken and Malcolm and Nina will never find out.' 
 
 ' Let 'cm find out if they like ; what does it 
 matter ? ' 
 
 ' Oh ! and Peach ; it would kill Peach,' continued 
 Fred. 
 
 'Let her die,' said Rosaleen. 
 
 'But I don't want her to die.' 
 
 ' You needn't talk about these others to me ; I hate 
 every one of 'em. You'i-e the only one I care for, 
 and I'm very fond of you; you're not at all bad 
 
 i 
 
re gipsies 
 
 ok a drive 
 
 icir tents. 
 
 of tents, 
 
 the fields, 
 
 indsome.' 
 rick,' said 
 itted liini 
 going to 
 
 have an 
 
 oice, 'that 
 i out.' 
 t does it 
 
 continued 
 
 JACK-IN-TUE-DOX. 
 
 185 
 
 le ; I hate 
 
 care for, 
 
 t all bad 
 
 
 •Snppaso tl,oy have dog,,' .,akl Frod 
 i'ogs.f echoed Rosalcen; 'as if T f , j 
 Come alone • don't 1,„ '""""^ <^"Si- 
 
 you over if Vl: .. ° l;"™-- ■^-"--k- I 'il throw 
 
 yo«wegor:ra4X':r'-''^«»'^<'y.-'' 
 
 to die.' ^ ^" ^°"' ^^^c» ii" it is 
 
 enamoured of her be I ;„ " J" '"°" ^"^ ""^^ 
 
 "^Img. as it would ache worl , '"='""^' 
 
 '«onths to come. '"' ™"" *"'■ """y 
 
 The gipsy encampment wm |„ , « i , ■ 
 -n>o woods, which were c.I d t P, '"'' °"*"''° 
 ■J'here were throe ,;"""' "'" '''""tagonet Woods. 
 
 of all .,or., a„d^ ' """'"""■^ "'' ''-ket-work 
 « ' y lasliiou, at one side of the field Tt 
 y-t ."ore tl,an seven o'clock in 1 "" ""' 
 
 the gipsies were up ,,„d b^y. " '"°'™"'"' '"' 
 
 "-littiesetL ;r'''"'""^'"°"-'-<' 
 
 *"-"«h which sh pthed r" " f " '" *"" '-•=-' 
 
 <".'<^'iy <-ushed w: s i. ';::; r:'""' "™=- 
 
 'lei. Ihey barked and yelped, 
 
 ! II 
 
 i 'I 
 
18G 
 
 JACK-IN-TIIE-noX. 
 
 SI 
 
 and sprang „pon tlio child. She pushed them aside 
 indignantly. 
 
 • Go down,' slic ci-ied. ' I 'ni not afraid of you.' 
 
 Then one of them cau<,dit her little i-od cloak; 
 and when this happened, a bi.ir .,ni),sy woman, as dark 
 as Rosaleen, but very uoly, and about sixty years of 
 age, came out of her tent. 
 
 'Let go this minute, Pincher,' sl,o said to the brute. 
 He dropped tlio cloak, and with his tail b.,-t\veen his 
 legs turned towards the woman. 
 
 Fred meanwhile was hiding in abject terror behind 
 the hedge. Rosaleen paused and looked round towards 
 him, 
 
 ' Come on, Frederick,' she called out. 
 
 On hearing her voice, Fred, very much frightened 
 and with his face like a siieet, did advance to the 
 other .side of the hedge. The dog Pincher began to 
 growl, and prepared to spj-ing upon him, whereupon 
 he uttered a piercing shriek, and rushing up to 
 Rosaleen, hid behind her. 
 
 'Oh! do call your dog off,' said Rosaleen. 'This 
 little boy is a bit of a coward. There now, that 's 
 better.— Do be quiet, Fred; don't make a little goose 
 of yourself.' 
 
 Fred, thus adjured, tried to regain his fast- 
 vanishing courage. Rosaleen turned and faced the 
 woman. 
 
 1 
 I 
 
tliom aside 
 
 of you.' 
 red cloak ; 
 m, as dark 
 y years of 
 
 the brute, 
 'tween his 
 
 ror behind 
 id towards 
 
 frightened 
 ice to tlie 
 began to 
 vhereupon 
 ng up to 
 
 m. ' Tliis 
 )w, that 's 
 ttle goose 
 
 his fast- 
 faced the 
 
 JACK-I.V-TffE-]!OX. 
 
 187 
 
 •What 'syourna.no, please? 'she asked 
 
 'My name dear?' .eplie.l this personage, lookin. 
 
 aliov.. the radiant and handsome little .i, 2 
 name is Hepsil.ah Leo.' ^ 
 
 ' Hepsibah Leer repeated Rosaleon;' that 'savory 
 nne name. -^ 
 
 ■«oitia A,,,l«.|,,,t, Mght ,,,,,,,,,,,,,„ ,,^,, 
 'ho Dark R.«lo,..„; ,v,,li...l H„«,u,e,, , j , „ 
 
 S"'- »'■" gipsy Ki'-I. o,„f„i,v' 
 
 •To he .,„.,, how „uc... ,;,,„ „,„,,_ ,,^ ,,^^,^ 
 
 r' ""'■"'"''■ ^™- ' W»". d^'".'. you look 
 
 That » „.I.at I tl,i„k,- a^-ood K„.sal.c.n. .She pul ,1 
 «lf l.er hat a„„ «,,„ok „„t ,,,, „,,,, ,,^. . l"'"^'' 
 
 It S not dved Vl^^^ ].,. ' 1 
 
 "}tu, 30U know, she roma.kod ■ ' it 's 
 — . a,,., ,„ i, ,,. skin. I,,,a,.k_i.,u;. 
 ^^Jery dark, dear, an.l very beautiful/ .said Ue„.sil,ah 
 
 ■I ™„d„,oxclai,acd Ro,,aleon. hor eyo.s .p.arklin,, 
 
 JV, r '"""'' '*''°"-'"«- ■"« --"I- I'm 
 
 awfnlly fond of rinsie, ■ T I.,v. • , , 
 
 'em and n . . , ' " ""'' '''■<"■■"" "f 
 
 em, and tiiat ,s whv I Hiint T ., 1 • 
 
 ■' ""'' ^ must m a sort of 
 
 -Iy;^a„dhave,o„„etatl,ro.efor„o,uito 
 •To he „,„,, love, yon .shallhav,. a nice breakfast 
 
 .■ / 
 
 
 ■i 
 
I 
 
 188 
 
 JACK-IN-TIIE HOX. 
 
 and so Hl.all this dear little gentlo.nan. Ho is not a 
 gipsy by birtii. tliounh-is i.e, ih-nr < ' 
 
 ' Oil no,' said Rosaleon. in disdain. ' Ho 's nothing 
 but a poor littlo Eiio-Hsh boy.' * 
 
 'Poor, ind.cl!' echoed Fred, with anoer. 
 
 r 
 
lo is not a 
 's nothing 
 
 189 
 
 C H A P T li: R XVI. 
 
 WITH THE GIPSIES. 
 
 lEPSIBAH LEE was n.ost attentive to 
 the Dark Rosaleon. She showed her 
 all over th.> oipsy encampment; .she 
 took her from one tent to another 
 and allowed her to peep in. The tents were by 
 no means de.stitute of comfort; and one of them 
 in which the Gip.sy Queen, a certain Floribel Jor.es' 
 resided, was even picturesque. There was a carpet 
 on the floor, and one or two well-.stufFed chairs and 
 the bed on a proper bedstead, an<l a lookinc.-o-la.ss 
 hanging up against the tent-wall, an.l a basi^and 
 jug and washhand-stand-in fact, the usual require- 
 ments of a thoroughly comfortable room. 
 
 Rosaleen noted these things with intense admira- 
 tion; but the creature to whom her whole heart 
 went out was Floribel Jones herself. 
 
 Floribel Jones was about twenty years of ac^o 
 
 it 
 
 f^ f 
 
 
m 
 
 WITH I hi: fm^in. 
 
 Iff 
 
 e 
 
 She l,ad vc,.y ,l„..k ,„.|,i„,, e,.,„ ,,,,,,, ,,„,, ,^ ,„^^ 
 «'...■. n„mi„..,-,a,l„ l«„,,i,, .,., . , """ "'•" 
 
 out Witl, ■■ . " I'WSOllUjro CUllll! 
 
 R.« oe„ e,u„,,t ,,„,,,.„■„,.,. ,,„„,| , ,„„,;; ^ 
 
 tl'>^ Im.glos, nn.l tl,.., ,„fe,,] t|,. ], ,,j „ , , 
 and .s„,l,A,,,j, ki,,,„| ,., '"""' '" ''^■'' I'l-s 
 
 'You tti-e Que„„ . j 
 
 tu.-u .,„„,„ day.' ' '' "■'" '^'•' "'y 
 
 00 ..,, ,„,u, „l.o c,„„c. „„t or ,.„„t,,.. t,.,„ „„„t 1 
 """ ''""-''on '-'.^I't ""t of U„. K,Od 
 
 awf!it; ':::tt''T:"'/■''*■^'"-'"- 
 
Iiiilr-, a low 
 
 Nlio W'llH 
 
 ho woro n 
 
 ^< ; find ,s|jo 
 »-'i' .swarthy 
 ' "J'lii.s .she 
 I'lgo caiiio 
 th'en ; and 
 Jooked at 
 J her li|,H 
 
 ill be 
 
 my 
 
 Hej),si])ah 
 ' •! li'iufi- 
 •siii. Iciiii,^ 
 wh;i.t she 
 lie opjHj- 
 
 terroi- 
 tliat she 
 cr; but 
 and the 
 iliildreii, 
 eant to 
 3rly ho 
 
 'io^aleon cauijht l,okl 
 
 it 
 
 III 
 
 
 ^ tljo bangles. 
 
il 
 
 m 'I 
 
 Ml*:' 
 
 i 
 
 1 1 
 
 f' 
 
WITH THE GIPSIES. 
 
 191 
 
 Z ';, ^™'"^""' ^"- a". Rosaleen, although 
 de.e. ,f she wore vi.ht. „„d if ,,,„ ,,,„ ,^.^^ 
 
 ^..;"latanh,. ,.n,or.pHte,„..,eLMhJ 
 
 H \v!m 7''-""'^ "'='"-'' '° '-- "- ways of ,„„, 
 H. ,a ched ho. now „, .,,0 ,,,„,,, ,„ ^, 
 
 '"""""' ■•""• ^'«'»«' '- white tooth, ana a.sl« 
 7- '""^'»- B"t fo'- tho p.„.so„co „f Pi„eh..,. 
 who wa. p„„.,in. ro„„„ ovMontly propavo-l to sprin, 
 O" tho E„gh.h el„W..on if thoy gavo hi,,, tho ™,aIlo.; 
 p.-ovocat,on. it i.s .a„ to .-olato that F.-o,, wouid hav 
 tu.-„od and flod, A. it wa. ,,0 ha,, ,0 hold ,,i, 
 
 whon Rosaloon woul.l tl,ink it tin.o to .eturn hon.o 
 
 P-ontiy,„„„h,,.eo,.o,„.hi»in,patio„coany,on.e; 
 ""'1 toeing a l„t „r littl,, „;,,„,. ehild,,,,,. 
 
 ""t of t ,o,r va„o„» to„t.,, ,.,.hbi„g t,,,i, ,J 
 
 Ko.saI,;on l,y tho a,-i„. ' 
 
 ' "'^■"' -'"'t - it „„.,v, fVodoriek r «id Ko„ah,.„ 
 
 A«nt It time to 1)0 p-oino- 1,.,p1-?' ,„i • , „ 
 
 , T „ , ^ ^ ^''^^^^ • wliisperof Fred 
 
 'I really do thiMk ifc is.' 
 
 'It's not half.past seven o'clock vet/ whispered 
 P-sent; Shet.rneda,.intoth.. nVoJ 
 
 ^ipsy Que 
 
 v'lieen, she snid, 'd 
 
 (if- 
 
 o 
 
 you think that I 
 
192 
 
 WITH THE GIPSIES. 
 
 i ', 
 
 miglifc liave breakfast with you this morning? I 
 should hke to, very niucli indeed.' 
 
 'Of course you may, pretty little dear,' replied 
 Floribel, 'and .so may thi.s little by. You shall both 
 have breakfast, not in my tent, but just outside h-re 
 in the sunshine. We can give you delicious soup. 
 Do you like soup for breakfast?' 
 
 Floribel spoke in quite a refined way. She rather 
 minced her words than otherwise ; and as she shook 
 her pretty head her long red coral earrings dangled. 
 Rosaleen looked at her with more and more 
 admiration. 
 
 'How delightful you are!' she exclaimed. 'I 
 should like to live in your tent with you.' 
 ' Well, it might be managed,' said Floribel. ' 
 'Might it?' asked Rosaleen. 'That is if I wanted 
 to come very, veiy badly. I might want to, you 
 know. It is quite possible I would bring this little 
 boy with me.' 
 
 'Oh, no. no! I couldn't,' said Fred in a 
 whisper. 
 
 'Don't forget that I am your liege lady. You 
 have taken your vow, and must stick to it,' said 
 Rosaleen, giving Fre^ an impatient poke. 
 
 'Any litth> boy who disobeys his liege lady, the 
 dogs hjtve him; said Floribel in a low voice of 
 intense meuninir. 
 
 h 
 
 i 
 
riling ? I 
 
 ir,' replied 
 slmll both 
 itside Iiore 
 ious soup. 
 
 >he rather 
 she shook 
 3 daniiled. 
 nd more 
 
 med. 'I 
 
 I Wcinted 
 
 b to, 3^ou 
 :hi,s little 
 
 WITH TflE GIPSIKS. 
 
 193 
 
 d in 
 
 a 
 
 y. You 
 it,' said 
 
 ady, the 
 t'oice of 
 
 
 ' That •., right; ansvv™,, Rosale™. 'Ami r ,„• u 
 eon,o to live with you »„,„„ „,,- Klorib f' 
 
 'It couki bo arranged,' said Floribol in a dnl ' 
 sort of voice <<hr. i i , ^ 'Jul'iou.s 
 
 voice, feho l„okod Rosaleen all over „„d 
 
 g »ci po5,t by the door of the t™t 
 walkod across the creen^vn,. I • .1 ,. ' 
 
 Hensibah T„ '•"""">--'^'<' ■" the direction where 
 
 "lepsiDan J.,ce was standing H, „ -i, 1 
 ins- with I. ^^'"'a'ng- Hcpsibah was stand- 
 
 ng w th her arms akimbo; she was giving direc 
 
 1- approached the stout old woman her walk brok! 
 ">'o a light sort of d„ueing movement. 
 •Isn't she lovely?. ,„id R„,,,„,„ 
 
 from where she stood herself ■ J>id„.t r „,r 
 Fred flinf +1 J^Kinc l toll you, 
 
 Z\ ■'■" ™'^ "" P™1'"« "' »" the world 
 
 iike the gipsies?' 
 
 'I don't know,' answered Fred 'T.lnn'fr. , 
 
 T . , , J-ii-ii. 1 (font IlKe her 
 
 I w.sh oh I I do wish you would come away^ 
 I will after breakfast/ replied Rosaleen. 
 
 -a?;,":i7..':,'°" "" ''- '-'-^^ '"^^ -" 
 
 'iSot they,' taiswered Roqilnm-. ^mi 
 
 The Odd, aiHithP Evens ^f^^aiocn. 'They wouldn't 
 
 M 
 
 
hr 
 
 f 
 
 
 M 
 
 194 
 
 WITH THE GIPSIES. 
 
 .1 • 
 
 Steal me. Besides, I dure .say I shall come and live 
 with them presently; it's very likely, if things are 
 too unpleasant at home. It greatly depends on how 
 the truce end,s. But now, don't let's talk any more; 
 Floribel is coming back. Isn't she quite lovely?' 
 'Ye— es,' said Fred in a dubious sort of voice. 
 'Oh! I thmk her beautiful; and so would you if 
 you weren't such an awful little coward,' replied 
 Rose in a voice of withering scorn. 
 
 Poor Fre<l thought of Peach, of Kenneth, of Nina, 
 and Malcolm. How he longed to be safe back again 
 with the Odds! How terrible was his fate now 
 that he had joined the Evens ! 
 
 Floribel came gently back; she was now accom- 
 panied by the old woman. 
 
 'I have been talking to Hepsibah about you,' • 
 she said, turning to Rosaleen; 'and we arc very 
 glad indeed to give you and your little brother 
 breakfast.' 
 
 'He's not my brother; he's my subject,' answered 
 Rosaleen. 
 
 Floribel made no reply to that. 
 ' Wo shall be very glad to give you bi-eakfast.' 
 'And may I sit on your throne, Queen. I should 
 like tliat awfully,' said Rosaleen. 
 . 'It can be done,' replied Floribel; 'but that won't 
 make you Queen of the Gipsies, you know.' 
 
and live 
 liings are 
 3 on how 
 ny more ; 
 ve]y ? ' 
 voice. 
 d you if 
 replied 
 
 of Nina, 
 3k again 
 ate now 
 
 aceoin- 
 
 11 1 you,' 
 
 re very 
 
 brother 
 
 iswered 
 
 fast.' 
 sliould 
 
 'j won't 
 
 ^^'''''1 THE ()ll>siKs. 
 
 1 want to be Queen of H.n n- • 
 
 1 <,. It s al] a matter of nionov M 
 
 "»oney I,ave you got .le.r 1,>H ' ""''^ 
 
 -^ ir,'^''. '10,11 little jinssy ?" 
 
 Money?- exclaimed Itoal.™ ■! h,- , 
 any money.' '■'™ ""' g°t 
 
 ■If« a matter of n.oney/ aaid the eider .,ip,.. 
 ■-' .natter of ton po„„d.,-tl.at » .Ct r 1' 
 The day you come i,ere with u.„ V 
 
 wiil give UB her H . '"'"'"'''• '''o'-"*! 
 
 ofthtoi;! "'■•"■'"'"^"'•■''■'•'^""■"'^Q-n 
 
 'Oh dear! oh dear! shouldn't I lil„ if • , 
 Ro-lee„. and her eye« flashed fire. ' """ 
 
 'We mean it, dear Uh],. 
 "oebreat,,eit't„X:c^^7f^;,;-/-."- 
 »u'i 1 J ""'-tj'. J.I eitJier ot vnn f,.T^ 
 
 a.Mi:;;e:°"^"''"--"^--^-'you. 
 
 'To be sure, love.* 
 
 •Oh, wl,at a general I shall malce!' »dd Rosaloen 
 ^I>oyou,.uowthatla.nattheheadofa„a::;- 
 
 tf 
 
 Hir 
 

 k 
 
 196 
 
 WITH TIIK GII'SIES. 
 
 'Poor little dear!' replied the elder gipsy; she 
 touched her forehead, and glanced significantly at 
 Floribel. She evidently thought that Rosuleeu was 
 not quite right in her head. 
 
 'Well, dear,' she said, turning to the child, 'you 
 shall have everything you want, and we will all 
 ohoy you, for the ten sovereigns. How soon do you 
 expect to be coming along with the moncv, little 
 love ? ' 
 
 'Oh! I wish I could come quickly; but I— there, 
 I'll try and manage it somehow,' answered Rosaleeu. 
 ' I don't know how— I don't know the least bit how, 
 but I'll manage it.' 
 
 'I expect you will, love; and here comes the 
 breakfast.' 
 
 As the old woman spoke two gipsy children were 
 seen approaching, carrying a little tray between 
 them. It was a roughly-made wooden tray, and on 
 it were two bowls of soup which smelt deliciously 
 in the morninof air. 
 
 Floribel danced into her tent and brought out a 
 little rustic arm-chair. 
 
 'Here is your throne,' she said. 'It's where I 
 sit generally; and that is my breakfast generally; 
 but it shall be yours to-day, and little master's. 
 You're hungry— aren't you, dear little missy?' 
 
 ' Oh ! I should just think I am,' replied Rosaleen. 
 
:ipsy ; she 
 icautly at 
 uleen was 
 
 tiild, 'you 
 
 will all 
 
 )n do you 
 
 icv, littlo 
 
 I — there, 
 Ro.saleen. 
 bit how, 
 
 )me.s the 
 
 Iren were 
 
 between 
 
 ', and on 
 
 eliciously 
 
 ht out a 
 
 where I 
 3nerally ; 
 master's. 
 tV 
 losaleen. 
 
 If 
 
 'f'TH TOE r.lKlES. 
 
 ■Y"" k"ow; «l,o acWcd oasrc-lv . , 
 
 ^^■'f with ...eat di„nit, i, fh '""'"' ''-- 
 
 'Well, she'll |,e our ro.I n 
 
 - "'^ - po..n„,. ,c L? r:: ,*■ "■■■•"- 
 
 ^-^»'S your „ie„ lf™i' 'T """'"""'•^''••■'"•° 
 before ,.„„, '''^''"'"^'' ^'""bd d.all dance 
 
 Kcalcon's eyo, « ,, 
 "dventuro; this was lifo- „„• '"^''^'' "•''^ 
 
 '"•s'>-t pitch. She took h'oHilT f'""" "' ''" 
 -■' ««-ed the ,„i..t,„.e Jit, a '°" '" '"'' '"""'^ 
 "■- »up „ado of all kinds o ditT '" ''"'™- " 
 bfe of rabbit, iittle bits o """ ''""«"■ ""'^ 
 
 -U'inable „eat see Jd to :: t :!'■*"• ^^^^^ 
 ^""P; and Eo,,aleen was verv I ' """'"""' 
 
 ^'^ Fred; and the do. P , ^*''^' ""^ ^° »'»» 
 them while they ate ZfTT """ "^ "'™^ '» 
 «bicke„.bone /o,n Fred 'arr'T*" '° ^-P' <• 
 
 '^; «"'e boy With sol^ltV''*' '°°^^^ ''^ 
 
 Altogether it was lovely ,! 7"' 
 '''e picturesque surro..ndt„ he "'°™"'^ '"^■ 
 
 round-their dark ev„ , ^" ^P'"""* ^'mding 
 
 -^ -%■ Child" eTrt::Lr^tr"'r""" - 
 
 oiean.,.st, wjth the lovely 
 
 , i 
 
 
 ii' 
 
198 
 
 WITH THE GIPSIES. 
 
 II 
 
 Hi ; 
 
 
 Qiioon of the Gipsies dauciiii-- before lier, swaying 
 l;er unns, turniiiir pirouettes, curtsying, sweeping 
 backwards and forvvartls, each movement full uf 
 perfect giace. 
 
 'Oh! tlicro is no life like a gipsy life,' cried 
 Uosaleen, 'And I don't niin<l anything. I must— 
 r must get the money ; I nuist come to you ; I must 
 b.! your Queen.' 
 
 'You will let us know, dear, before you do come,' 
 said the elder gipsy. 'I'll come round to the stile 
 near your place. I knoAv Inglcnook well. I '11 come 
 to the stile at the bottom of the field near the copse 
 most afternoons; and when you tell me you have 
 got the money we'll be all ready for you. We'll 
 move off the next day, for they might find you, 
 missy. You won't mind that ? ' 
 
 'I won't mind anything,' said Rosaleon, 'if only 
 I can be ycnir Queen.' 
 
 'This is what will happen,' said Floribel. She 
 suddenly came up in front of the child, dropped on 
 both knees, and laid her head at Rosaleen's feet. 
 'There,' she said. 'I cannot stoop lower than that; 
 and I'll do that for you when you take my crown 
 and wear it.' 
 
 She dashed into her tent and brought out a 
 curious tinsel crown. She popped it on her head. 
 •Not for you yet, mis-y,' she said; 'but it shall 
 
 i 
 
*, swaying 
 
 sweeping 
 
 it full uf 
 
 life,' cried 
 
 I iiuist — 
 
 u ; I niu-st 
 
 do come,' 
 3 the stile 
 I '11 come 
 the copse 
 you have 
 [1. We '11 
 find you, 
 
 , 'if only 
 
 bel. Slie 
 'uppud on 
 ;en'.s feet, 
 ban that ; 
 ny crown 
 
 it out a 
 r head, 
 t it shall 
 
 109 
 
 ^ITH THE GIPSIES, 
 be yours, and we'll nl) 
 
 ^™. -"' yon J ZZ"'- '-' ""' •'"■y 
 
 y« b.-i„. u., eho ten .ovo,:: „ °™'""" '"""' ""'- 
 '-'". 1 must ^ I niusM' I • 
 
 You have all been mo^^ ]-• i . 
 
 ;;^'^-„ t,„o o..,, :,,, ,:;:,:"';• ■' ■■« - -"« 
 
 "'« Evens; ™j ^^cn I ioi, " """"'" "^ 
 
 tatio, ior n,e?' '' •™"' ^■°" '" ««'" ".y 
 
 'To be sure, to he sure A,-,,- vtn 
 Hepsibah Lee. ''"'° ""■^■'y' ■•-I'lio.l 
 
 FWibel droppe,, , ,,,,,.,„, ^,^_, 
 
 we must go nou-' sni,] n , 
 oWfeoatoyou J. ■/""' ''-"'^«»- 'In. awfnily 
 
 -eriean, Como, Frederiek '"•""" "" 
 
 The t,vo ohiKIren walked ouieklv tl, , 
 •^■"np, followed bv Renc-I , ^ """'' "'" 
 
 'Got the nroney son.ehow/ answered R,„,ieen 
 Ten soverei.ms' M,„., «"S.ilecn. 
 
 'I don't t H""' are you to get it? ■ 
 
 .„ ''°"' '^"O"'- I'll n.ana>.e p„.i„ 
 *'" give it to me I ■„, ■ ' "P' """^er 
 
 I '" g<«"g to have a birthday 
 
 ^fc;j 
 
 I'W 
 
 .,, 
 
200 
 
 WITH THE (HPSIES. 
 
 i''i 
 
 i-i 1 
 
 by-an«l-l)y; perhaps slio'll ^nve it to me. It's a 
 good bit of money — isn't it?' 
 
 'It's an awful lot!' exclaimed Fred. 'I am glad 
 it's so much. I don't want to go and live with the 
 gipsies.' 
 
 *0h, you're a poor sort,' said Rosaleen. 'I am 
 almoHt .sorry that I made you one of my subjects.' 
 
 They got homo. Rosaleen climbed up by the pear- 
 tree, and Fred reached his quarters. He felt a very 
 miserable little boy, and considerably frightened. 
 He had to keep his feelings from Peach and *'i.om 
 the others, however. 
 
 Peach was standing looking somewhat grave as 
 he ran down the passage. He had been to his own 
 room, and washed his face and hands, and posed as 
 a good little boy who had only just got up. 
 
 'You're quite late for breakfa.st; it's past eight 
 o'clock,' said Peach. 'Where have you been?' 
 
 'Oh, nowhere,' answered Fred. The lie made him 
 extra miserable. He pressed his hand against his 
 heart. 
 
 'I wish I hadn't done it,' he said to himself. 'I 
 would rather be dull than naughty, when all's 
 said and done; and I won't go and live with the 
 gipsies.' 
 
 Peach took his hand, and they went into the 
 pretty breakfast room. The rest of the Carlingfords 
 
 i 
 
 
. It'H a 
 
 am glad 
 with the 
 
 'I am 
 
 iibjccta.' 
 the pear- 
 It a very 
 'ishtencd. 
 md '!rom 
 
 WITH rilK (UPSIES. 201 
 
 wore tluTe in In-h ^m-\U Tl 
 
 picnic that d„,3- .., ' ' ''"'^ ""^ '^ '^ >^ ^'-t 
 I" the evening ;:T7^^ -- '^^^^^^^ 
 IMideneo and Kc-nn n r n "^' ^''^^'^'^'" 
 
 -"yaj.,:r::;.';::;';:t"'''-'''''- 
 
 Nina an.l Kcaloo,, Pv '"» «"i.or,.l„, 
 
 "Otico Fred's Jh , "° """^ '""' '""" '» 
 
 yr&ve as 
 his own 
 posed as 
 
 I. 
 
 ist eight 
 1?' 
 
 lade him 
 linst his 
 
 iself . ' I 
 len all 's 
 ivith the 
 
 into the 
 lingfordls 
 
 "■■I i 
 
 ini 
 
 f. 
 
202 
 
 Siv 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XVIl 
 
 'IT CANNOT GO ON.' 
 
 N the eyes of tl.o ciders the picnic was 
 a great suecosa To begin with, the 
 
 clay was perfect — neither too hot nor 
 too cold, neither too windy nor too 
 Htill. The sky was, indeed, slightly fleecy with 
 summer clouds, a.id the softest zephyr of a breeze 
 was abroad; and the spot wliich they had selected 
 for their gala feast was in itself perfection, shaded 
 by magnilicent beech and elm tre.s, with the river 
 not far off, and the sparkle of the blue, blue sea in 
 the distance. 
 
 They drove to the place -it was about twelve miles 
 away— and during the di-ive the Odds and the Evens 
 were as friendly, an.l laughed as heartily, and talked 
 with as apparent relish as if there were no battle 
 between them— as if there were no truce which so 
 shortly was to come to an end. Nina, in particular. 
 
'IT (AW'OT (io ox.' , 
 
 7 «"3-»t of ti,„ «,.j,. ,s,„ ,,„„, „,,,,_ ; • 
 
 ■"Other lookcl „t J,,,. „.ill, ,.v ,. ■ 
 
 Uhu a lovely o,c,,t„.-e .sl„. !„:■„„ ,„„,,, 
 »'M'y. A„,, t,,e„ „,„ ,.,.,, j,,.^ ^,_^_.,. > 
 
 "»■.■■ cluM,-,,,, „, f„„,, ,„„t|,„,.^ "' 
 
 IMS true tM Fa< d,,Hn,, the pie,,ie, w„.s a little 
 
 ^l-"n,,, eoul,l „„t help s,,w,« l„ ,,„,„„. ;,„„ ,„. 
 
 --;i".t"a. lull little ,„,,,,,„, „„„, , 
 
 «nn, e„t ,v„,.ds e„„.ee.,,, a,„, „,„„ ,,„ „,,,, . , 
 vor.is 01 f„,„. ,,„,,,,,, „,,^„,,., ,,^^^ ■ ■ 
 
 iiiHke the ntteiii|it. 
 
 •You ,„,. .I„l,; ,,,„ ,„;,,__.,,„„ ,,^^, 
 -pv.s« ; I ,„,,t ,„„„, „,, J ^^.,,__^ » 
 
 for my half-twin.' ^ " 
 
 Fred turned liis ^Woon.v ImnvP .y... i-, .u- v ,. 
 
 .H 
 'i;i 
 
m r- 
 
 204 
 
 'IT CANNOT GO ON.' 
 
 'i ' 
 
 ■M 
 
 "■I I 
 • 1 ^ 
 
 of T^osaleen. He was tired from his morning's adven- 
 ture ; his heart was heavy, not only because he was 
 false to his own people, but because of the He he 
 had tokl. He hated himself for being such a naughty 
 boy, and wondered much at Kosaleen's spirits. Rose 
 was as cheerful, as full of fun as though she had 
 only got up at eight o'clock instead of her real hour 
 five. She was full of mirth, laughing, joking, talking 
 all the time. She carried Peach away with her, and 
 absolutely fascinated this somewhat quiet little girl. 
 Not a single false note seemed to be struck during 
 that brilliant day; and when the little party returned 
 home in the shades of the evening, they one and all 
 confessed that they had enjoyed themselves mightily. 
 It was arranged that Prudence and Kenneth were 
 to meet each other in the brown parlour between 
 eight and nine that night. This was a sort of neutral 
 room devoted to the children on both sides. There 
 they were to draw up conditions which were to be 
 submitted to the two generals, as they were now 
 universally called. They met punctually to the 
 moment. Prudence flung herself into a luxurious 
 lounge, and Kenneth stood before her. 
 
 'Well, Prue/ he said, ' what do you think of every- 
 thing?' "^ 
 
 'I think that everything is liorrid,' replied Prudence. 
 'I uiay as well t,.ll you frankly. Ken, that I think, 
 
■it cannot go on." 205 
 
 and so doea Patience, that tho „,ain thin, to do is 
 to put an end to ,l>i. ,„„,,e i,„po,,iM, ,,,,;^i^„, 
 
 rhat»w„„tl think too,' ,en,a,.kod Konnvth. 
 B„t how can we manage it? Something mu,t ho 
 
 done which will not try the m-ide nf „ ■ 
 
 , , ■' ^ P"''8 o' our respective 
 
 generals too severely." 
 
 ■Yes, that's about it,' said Prudence. -I dechre 
 
 when I c e ,0 ,Hink of it, ., often i'eel ti :: 
 very best thmg possible would be to take Ro,,alee„ 
 g.ve her a sound whipping, and lock her up for a' 
 week She is quite an intolerable child, and gives 
 herself such air.,. However, that is not the 
 P^t. The truce will come to an end to-morrow 
 
 Z!d ■ ' "' '""" ''""'' "" "''"' '=''"*"™' ™ 
 
 ■Well I expect we shall stand very much on the 
 old conditioas,' said Kenneth. 
 
 ■And they are impossible,' sai.I Prudence. She 
 stamped her foot impatiently. .Do you know that 
 th<s IS ruming my little „i.ste,. r ,,i,e continued, • You 
 ought to represent it to Nina. She is grown up ■ 
 Rosaleen is only a child. R„.,aleen is very rude even' 
 to mother; and as to her conduct to Patience and 
 
 myself, we refuse to .speak to her, that's all. Little 
 
 Amy ,s miserable; I constantly hear her cryin. 
 
 The atmosphere is laden, and a stern, and .re„,.r,a 
 
 catH;<trophe must occur.' 
 
 I ■ 
 
 m 
 
 '4'1 1^1 
 
 ( ! 
 
 f 
 
 
 ji 
 
rr— 
 
 206 
 
 'IT CANNOT GO ON.' 
 
 ■ll' 
 
 p,: 
 
 1 
 
 ' Well, what are we to do ? ' asked Kenneth. 
 
 'I have been thinking it out/ said Prudence 'and 
 I feel that nothing will clear the air but a battle. 
 AMiocver comes out victor in that battle dictates 
 terms to the vanquished.' 
 
 ' But what sort of battle do you mean ? You don't 
 suggest that we deliberately fight with weapons, and 
 see on which side the greatest number of the 
 vanquished will fall ? ' 
 
 ' No, I don't mean it in that sense. I have been 
 thinking things out. In the old days disputes like 
 ours were settled by champions. Now, the two 
 champions on this occasion ought to be Rosaleen and 
 Nma. They ought to be set a race of some kind 
 m wluch Nina, of course, is to be handicapped in 
 order to make their powers about equal. They mi^ht 
 either luave a physical race or it might be some- 
 t'nrii? to learn. My opinion is that, as the fight has 
 assumed son.ewhat serious dimensions, the decisive 
 Dattle should consist of Ijotli.' 
 
 ■ irow .lo you ,noan ? I ,,o „„t „„d„„to„,, ; ..y 
 Kenneth. 
 
 •Well,s,„,p„,o Nina and R„.„lee„ wore oach to do 
 a p.ece of recitation, for inatanco ; and .,pp„,,, ,fter 
 that thoy wc-e to run a race, Rosaloen to start 
 co„,,doraUy i„ advance „f Nina, .,o that the race 
 *""" ''^ "•""■' f'"- '"'«. whoever won on both 
 
th. 
 
 ice, 'and 
 
 a battle. 
 
 dictatos 
 
 ou don't 
 
 ons, and 
 
 of the 
 
 ve been 
 fces like 
 (le two 
 3en and 
 e kind, 
 pod, in 
 ^ might 
 sonie- 
 ?ht has 
 [eci.sivo 
 
 I,' said 
 
 to do 
 ', after 
 
 start 
 ! race 
 
 both 
 
 I 
 
 -St J 
 
 'IT CANNOT GO ON.' 207 
 
 counts wouW have t,.e victory. o„ tl,c otl.er hand 
 .f Eosaloon won the race, and Nina ..ecitod best' 
 wh.oh aoca, highly probable, there would ,1 i 
 
 be an „,„pire appointed, and »„,„e other te.tgi.e 
 Wo »,«ht .naUe thi. decisive test cou,e, say, a .^ 
 
 but will the cha„.p,ons themselves consent » ' 
 We n>ust see then, both to-morrow evening, when 
 
 Unt.l the VK-tory .s won, the old conditions of war- 
 fare must remaiu : but I do hope that this w.U put 
 an end to things. Kosaleen can recite pretty welP 
 -^nued Prudence; .«„.! of co,u..,e Patlnee'and i 
 would coach hiT I f|,!nlr fi.-. 
 
 '• 1 ttiink the unii^n-cs ourdit not in 
 
 -^ any ,ne™,,e,. of the family; but mylejf 
 nstanco. and your n.other. We need n^t tell t'hem 
 
 »l.y wo are having this competition; but we i 
 «nen tlie tnne conies.' 
 
 'Altogether it seeu.s rather good,' «aid Kenneth. 
 I «on er how you thought of it. Prudence. It i, 
 
 T *''<' "^^^ "™g ^ do. We n>u.,t come 1 
 decision, and before lon<r- for „., „„„ ., 
 stftte ,.f n • . . ' ^*"' '"•>'• "» present 
 
 state oi things is nitoierabie 
 
 'i'iil 
 
 ! 
 
 ' ' i il 
 
I! i 
 
 Ifl I 
 
 208 
 
 'IT CANNOT GO ON.' 
 
 I' 
 
 •Quite intolerable.' answered Prudence, 'Why ]n.t 
 
 hmkont. B, this ti.„ tcnorrow night ,„„rd 
 
 I mmv pa^s each other with the col.Iest remarks- 
 
 we must pretend tl.at we have no interests in' 
 
 common, we ,n„.st Keep as aloof as possible; and 
 all the hrae there are ,ny father and mother and 
 your mot er expecting „, to have a jolly time, to 
 be great faends. to be enjoying life to the utmost 
 It cannot go oh, Kenneth ; it cannot go on ' 
 
 -Well- said Kenneth. -I approve of your scheme. 
 I wm th,„k ,t out. and let you know to-morrow 
 night. 
 
 Soon afterwards the two children parted. Prudence 
 went back to Patience, and they talked a little further 
 of what might bo arranged. A race between the 
 generals, preceded by a recitation from both • It 
 would be an exciting moment They agreed that 
 he parents should be invited in proper style, and 
 
 that amongst themselves they would subscribe for 
 
 a least for the occasion. 
 
 ^ 'It will all come in beautifully.' remarked Patience 
 and g.ve us something to think of until the -reat 
 
 battle co,ues to an end. Whoever loses must a^.o 
 
 to submit to the other, and the great quarrel must 
 
 oe made up,' 
 
 Patience looked quite cheerful as she spoke-any- 
 ilnng was better than the present state of things- 
 
^hy. just 
 
 you and 
 remarks ; 
 rests in 
 )le ; and 
 lier and 
 time, to 
 utmost. 
 
 scheme, 
 morrow 
 
 rudence 
 further 
 en the 
 h ! It 
 d that 
 e, and 
 be for 
 
 tienee, 
 
 great 
 
 agree 
 must 
 
 :it| 
 
 -any 
 
 lings; 
 
 •lU 
 
 ■!lf 
 
 lil 
 
Wf 
 
 ll 
 
 i f 
 
 « 
 
 a 
 
 
 i« 
 
 
 ^'v 
 
 
 l!i l-l 
 
'IT CANNOT GO ON.' 
 
 209 
 
 ii.y"!;' f^ 
 
 Vr'- 
 
 LM 
 
 ront lawn. 
 Page 209 
 
 anything wa, bettor than that look of ,J.lia„co on 
 liosaleen's small face. ' 
 
 The next day passed wiclioufc anytliing out of tlie 
 way occurring; and at seven o'clock in the evening 
 by special invitation, the two queens or generals' 
 met m the little copse at the botto.n of the front 
 awn. There ^vere seats provided for them; and 
 Kenneth, as the deputation for the Odds, nnd Pru- 
 dence, as the deputation for the Evens, advanced 
 Kenneti. was asked to make a little speecli Ho 
 came forward, made a low bow, and thus addressed 
 the two generals: 
 
 'General Rosaleen and General Nina,' he beo-an 
 smiling slightly as he spoke, ' I have come to mike' 
 a proposal. In these d.ys we cmnot run swords 
 mto each other, nor shoot each other with pistols 
 nor do anything stupid of that kind. We, the Od.ls 
 and the Evens, are engaged in a great battle, and 
 we are honestly desirous, we two delegates, to brine 
 matters to a oeaceful conclusion. We think there! 
 fore, that the very fairest thing is that the two 
 generals should act as champions in the n.atter and 
 prove which is the stronger. There is great difficulty 
 about this, seeing that the general of the Evens the 
 Dark Rosaleen, is not yet quite twelve years old, and 
 the general of the Odds, the fair Nina, is fifteen and 
 a half. There is a great difference between these 
 
 The OUtis and tlie Evens. "ouwecn tliese 
 
 U 
 
 !! (I 
 
210 
 
 'IT CANNOT GO ON.' 
 
 i 
 
 a„"e.,; but. after earoful thought, wo bdievc that we 
 can balance ™atte,. and have a fair test if o ! Z 
 generals themselves will a<rree IV„ , 
 
 tint tin-, A . . , ^ ° P^P"**' tl'«t.fore, 
 
 hat tins day iortn.ght the final test shall be ,.ive„ 
 
 We propose that n,y mother, Mrs Carlingford" a,„l 
 M your father'-here he nodded to p'„de e - 
 »r Froro, shall be the judo-,.. Wo will • , 
 
 -™ --ve have arL;d\i:^:;::;r - 
 
 of the ™portant matter that l,an,s upon their dcci- 
 
 Itl!::??, ""*' ''™ ^'"*" ^"■- - " station 
 
 o anythmg she hkes to seleet, in her most snriH.tIv 
 
 %le and ,n her very best manner. We prono t, ^ 
 
 er recitation shall be imn.ediate.y folJwoT ^ 
 
 from the Dark Rosaleen, who can recite any'piel 
 
 "1 gettmg up ]ier piece. There will I.. 
 
 sideration o-iven fr^ fi,« ,. -^ 
 
 »i\en to the respective a^os of n.,nh e 
 
 '1.0 -iters. Nina's piece will have Tb in erv 
 
 r~ ''"'"^'" ""'^ "'- p""»'- "- Caie :: 
 
 o Eo.sa een wil, „in a, ,i,, -■ 
 
 '.avmg been delivered, the final test will b. T 
 race Ninn ^p " "^ ^ "'iJe 
 
 „iris may have an equal chance 
 
 thmk w,ll be the best solution of this s^-eat fl„ht 
 '" "'' "^^^ °* «-'-> winnin, i„ the race, ^d 
 
J that we 
 
 only the 
 tlioiefoi-e, 
 be given, 
 ^ord, aiid 
 ndence — 
 nply toll 
 ;ion, not 
 
 account 
 eir dcci- 
 ^'citation 
 prightly 
 ose that 
 
 by one 
 y piece 
 'aiititue 
 ■y con- 
 'acli of 
 
 every 
 aleen's, 
 
 pieces 
 a mile 
 t both 
 
 at we 
 
 fiffht. 
 
 », and 
 
 'IT CANNOT 00 ON.' gjj 
 
 - -- ™ o :rr r:;:" rrr 
 
 beaten must mVe in fn f i .,. '' 
 
 I W to propose, and the di,at:\/^ ;r" 
 Prudence Frere, a^n-ees wifh ^ • ''"'' 
 
 Havin.. mado f. '" '"'^'"^ Particular.' 
 
 av.n<r made this speech, which he did wifh 
 
 solemnity, Kenneth a^ain bowed to 1 . ' ' 
 
 and stepped back. ^'''° "'"^^'''^'^ 
 
 Nina gave a short laup-h P. 7 
 
 defiant manner. ^ " ^'^'" "''^"^^ 
 
 'Well 'said Nina, bending towards Rosaloen 'I 
 agreeable if you are.' ^^-saiccn, 1 aui 
 
 ' What are to be the terms in n.o T 
 
 -sked Rosaleon. 'Am I T T "^^"'■'-'^ ^' 
 
 %bt? Are we tot • . '"" '■"^'^""^^' ^"^•^'^^ t''i« 
 % ^.''^'*°^^J"«<^«« wo were before?' 
 feomethmg f„,t],er mnst be said on f) " • 
 
 :r^^--''---omi„gfrrr?t:;^ 
 
 of peace will be drawn ii„- d , 
 
 t'.« conquc-ed „„„t , l' ' ' "''"= " ""*' 
 to thera' ''™"'' P'-°""'^° '° »"b,„it 
 
 ^1 
 
 .'■1 • 
 
 4t 
 
 im 
 
212 
 
 ill f 
 
 It -^Mi 
 
 'IT CANNOT GO ON.' 
 
 'You'll be glad to bo on my side. I 
 
 make 
 
 ni going to 
 
 very hard terms for the vanquished, and 
 
 mean to win in this fitrht. 
 
 Nina rose and held out her hand with a sudden 
 graciousness towards Rosaleon. 
 
 'Dark Rosalcen; she said, 'I submit fo the terms 
 made by the two delegates, and I hope that by this 
 night fortnight the battle between us will have 
 ceased. We will, in short, have buried our hatchets.' 
 ' Quite right,' answered Rosaleen. ' I am agi . eable.' 
 She shook hands with Nina in a careless fashion, 
 and, turning aside, walked towards the other end of 
 the copse. After a moment or two Peach followed 
 her. 
 
 'The truce is just at an end,' she said. 'I was 
 very happy during the last three days. I do earnestly 
 hope that Nina will win ; and during the fortnight 
 that has to pass, I hope, Rosaleen, you won't hate 
 me too much, for you know I love you. I love you 
 all, although I have to pretend to be your enemy.' 
 
 'Poor Peach!' said Rosaleen in a careless tone. 
 'You know,' she added, 'I mean to win in this 
 thing, and I mean the terms of peace to be some- 
 what severe ; but never mind, it will do you all 
 good.' She tossed her head again and walked away, 
 followed by Amy. 
 
 'Oh Rose!' said Amy, 'I do think this is the worst 
 
tJ»'"^' in all tJio worJ.l tW vou T . "' 
 
 Niim «r;ii • ^ • -^ eurjicst y hone 
 
 ■LMna will win; yes, i ^j^. -^ ""i^° 
 
 •Take t„at, then, „„<, that,- replied E^alocn, turn- 
 ^ng in a furious passion «5).« , 
 
 " fierce bW on t„e creek. "'™ ""' ""'" -'- 
 
 Amy staggered back, uttering a cry. 
 
 I'! 
 
 ■lU 
 
 •'if 
 
 
 M 
 
 h 
 
214 
 
 V t 
 
 I mi 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 ; THE HPKLLINU OIUL. 
 
 ND now the Odds and the Evens were 
 indeed busy young people. There was 
 but a fortnight to prepare. Each side 
 was intensely anxious that its own 
 champion .should win. No pains were .spar.d to 
 secure the best recitation eitlur for the Dark Rosa- 
 lecn or the Fair Ni„a. On both sides tin. children 
 fought hard for their own cause. It is true that 
 Fred, u.iserable little J.oy-a sort of sergeant on 
 either side -was always vacillating; now cheerincr 
 up and trying to think of .son.e won.lerful way 
 n. which Nina ndght be helped with her recita- 
 tion, or supported through the trials of her mile 
 race, and now slipping away to have a word with 
 Amy and Rose. The others, however, were too busy 
 to notice Fred. Even Rosaleen and Amy thou^^ht 
 him rather in the way; and Rosaleen once went "up 
 
ens were 
 ^loro was 
 acli .side 
 its own 
 )ar('<l to 
 k RoHa- 
 cliildron 
 •tie that 
 eant on 
 elieerinir 
 'ul way 
 recita- 
 )r mile 
 rd with 
 )o busy 
 
 bhoilnrljt 
 
 o 
 
 'ent up 
 
 THE .SPEUJX,, ,im,. „,j. 
 
 '" I'im un,l loM |,i,„ u.at, „, t,,„ n-U «... li|. , V 
 
 !.ol.a„b„tte,.»ta,wU s own p;;',,'"' """*-"■' 
 
 You. „™el,.,UtK.eovv,..,.c,,j.o,,W,. „,,„.,,,, 
 
 i' "'"" " "° ^™'' «''^'' ■•" -".« ,ou „„; 
 
 you when tl>o tune come.,; .^uc] Ro,„|o,.„. -And now 
 K»t away. You -ro a very poor .sort of boy 
 -■re.l himself felt O.at, |„ ,^.„_ „ „„,.,/' 
 
 of boy, and he slunl , ^ P""' ""•' 
 
 J, u ne Slum .„to cornera and refni^,! t,. 
 
 2 •;--;; .; n,.he.. ^a^e ^^JZ2 
 n. mth also «b.se,-ve.l the chanRe in he,- 
 ' '" ':"'"''■■ A't"- a". 1.0 wa,, he.. tJin- Z 
 aH.,on,h he had hnrt he. feelin,. ve-y eonsi .'..a ^ 
 on more .han one oeea.,io,. since the ,.eat hVht 
 began, she could not fo,,et this fact of all facts 
 
 When about a week had elapsed, Peach, haWng 
 Wl ■„ evo,.y possible way to coax Frcl „„t of hi: 
 
 lancMy, went to see Nina on the subject. Sh 
 
 found N,„a ,n her pretty bower-Iike roon,. «,,„ 
 
 had made the room now a picture with flowers and 
 
 aney needlework, and so,ne of her own photograp 
 
 ~ abont. Nina was seated wije th: Toft 
 
 """" ■"■• '""^ '" "nd gently stirred the hen, of 
 
 li 
 
 1^ 
 
216 
 
 
 I: J! 
 
 THE SPELUNYi (URL. 
 
 I 
 
 fljt 
 
 her white dress and n.fflcd the lock. „f I,or ,r„ldo„- 
 brown hair. She was busy reciting under her breath 
 the p,ece she was to do on the great occasion, 
 when Peach entered. 
 
 'Bo shut the door gently. Peach,' said her 
 Sister. 
 
 'It's the wind that ^akes it slam so,' replied the 
 httle gni . May I talk to you for a minute or two 
 JVma. ' 
 
 'Of com-se, darling. What is the matter »' 
 Nma was a very imperious girl, but she was always 
 gentle and kind to Peach. There was a hungry look 
 m Peachs eyes which had ever and always the power 
 of appealmg !» her heart. She closed her book now 
 somewhat slowly, and then drew her little sister 
 Clown to sit near her. 
 
 'Well, little girl,' she said, -what is the worry » 
 I hate to see that frown between your brows; it 
 will spo.1 your pretty forehead when you grow 
 
 'Oh never mind about that,' cried Peach, frowning 
 more deeply than gvpv <t „^ . 
 
 fy '^"f'-n ever. I am so anxious about 
 
 i^red; I cant understand what is up with him.' 
 
 Nma looked thoughtful. 
 
 'I understand perfectly/ she said; 'but I would 
 rather not say.' 
 
 'Youwould rather not say, Nina? But you must; 
 
THE SPELLING GIRL. 217 
 
 you don't know how altered he i. R v , 
 
 to go about with ,ne- he is . '" ''''' 
 
 ^ • ' '^® ^^ iilvvays watching and 
 
 peep.„g ,.ou„d eorne..; and whenever A,„y ap^" 
 
 or Boss, he goto .such a fie.,, red, j„.t '.St t 
 had a secret with tl.em.' 
 
 'I expect he has,' replied Nina 'T thinV T i, 
 
 -atisthe„atter;hntit.onidhe^:rr:eV:ir: 
 .^ay. Leave hm, aione, fWh; don't let mother be 
 
 ~ ""-^ '■"» Poor Fred is sufferingll 
 a g«.Ity conscience.- but he will be all ri^ht h " 
 
 _ Oh! I hope so,' said Peach very earnestly, 'It 
 hi« been m.semble_l,as it not, Nina ?■ 
 
 ways I have orjoyed it; but. after all, porlnns 
 
 a.ejad th.ngs. I have enjoyed „,,self to a certain 
 
 ' But you know you have not been at home. When 
 you were away in London it ,i; i . 
 ,i;ff , i-onaon it did not make much 
 
 difference to you-did it?' 
 
 ■You are quite right there, wise little sister.' 
 It made a groat difference to me,' continued Peach, 
 fou know Roaaleen and I are in n,. 
 sehnM .„A r . '" ■" "'^ =ame class at 
 
 leasons 
 
 'or 1 found her 
 
 proDf 
 
 m 
 
 I 
 
 eyes always watching me, and 1 
 
218 
 
 THE SPELLING GIRL. 
 
 I! 
 
 got quite „^v„„... She i» . ™,,. „,„„ ,,^,, ,,__ 
 i« she not, Nina?' ^ 
 
 Nina"' Z:T " ^^'"*' "' "'» '*^'^-' -'•"•■"«. 
 J-ut, Peach dear, you must not keep ,ne a„v 1 
 I Lave got to win thi, victorv it Z U. ^ *""■■ 
 terrible for her o™ XZ' R T ""'"""' 
 
 conqueror/ Ro.,alee„ were to be 
 
 'She is pricing very hard. I know/ .said Peach. 
 
 She goe. ..,„ «,e eop.e every day with Prudence 
 
 « Pafence, and recite., her piece. I hear her. 
 
 Sle ha. taicen "The Wonderfu, One-Hos., Shay." 
 
 J don t know if you know it.' 
 
 ■I i.ave only ju.,t read it,' an.swered Nina in •> 
 
 riTot""^- '" '- '^ °"™- «' --- 
 
 'I don't know; perhap., ,0, Nina. But .he does 
 't w.th great act.on, and I hear them laughin. 
 She .s so funny when she like.,,' ^' 
 
 'Yes yes,' replied Nina a little i,„patie„tly 
 And what i., your piece, darling Nina?' 
 
 . '^^""y'™'" "Kovenge,"' replicl that young lady 
 n a qu.et tone. -And I mean to do it o1, ' f 
 I .nean to do it. They shall .,ee it all. D „ t' 
 'nterrupt me now. Peach. Do run away,' 
 
 »he^T/,",^°''""™'"'°'' '"""'=''• 'I' '•« ™'her dull,' 
 ;he added, heaving a profound sigh, -l „,,, „„; 
 
Ig- 
 
 THE SPELLING GIRL. 219 
 
 play with Amy, whom T lil^o o 
 
 J'> ^^"o'n 1 like so much ; ami I niav 
 
 ^-e „oth,ng to d„ with Eo.,a.eo„; ., d „, ,^^ 
 
 Pudenoo and Patience, ove„'if they were alC 
 
 ..«peak o,„„. would hecuito too b„,y; and Ct 
 no,ood; and K™ and Maieo,. ,.,/„„,„,, 
 
 , ^ ^ ""™«°>™'- It is a little dull : l,„t I_J •„ 
 tiy and think h.iw iollv we'll „ll i • 
 
 'Do, rt. , You can .sit on the step it y„„ Hke 
 
 -• ta....to.y-book;on,y don/i„te..upt nJ 
 when I am doinij little pioco. aloud ' 
 
 •Mayn't I dap you when yo„ do then OKtra 
 well? asked Peadi. 
 
 'N..tto.lay When I k„„w the « Revenue "p,.„. 
 r- y you shall conK. and hea,- mo recite Tt. kn 
 »M,^he,ny coach, dea... Now, what do you „ay 
 
 ,Z.v' '''' r" "" """ *«-' *"-l-g in all the 
 wo, Id, answered Peach, tin-owing her a,™. i,„p,„,i,,,y 
 
 n . r',"""" ""'■ '"^ ''"'" si"-' -' near,; 
 .e,.ched the door when she suddenly turned round 
 
 By the way,' she said, 'have yon spoken to 
 ■nether yet about being umpire on the d^y of the 
 great trial ? ' "^ 
 
 Nin!°'.It'" T X "^ "" ""'^ """■'"■"""' ---'-^-^ 
 Nma. I ,s bet f„, „„ j^ ^^„ ,^^_. p^^ 
 
 she would ask her father.' 
 
 !<' 
 
 'W 
 
 1 fi 
 
220 
 
 THE SPELLING GIRL. 
 
 Jo: :t::::v;; —'■-'- p-hwaco 
 
 head. '™""'« """ ^'- "Odded her 
 
 '-ver you want me to,' replied the little siri SI 
 
 ^HeLdi^zrjjtr-'/t'-'''--'^ 
 
 ^"^^^'^ ^™e to an end; she could reneaf 
 
 more in the „at S. ^ 1'""^^ ^^' '"'' -- 
 mam. Sho j,„„ped up ha.,tily. 
 
 Where are you. Peach r .1, ,1 , 
 
 J'"", reacii ( Shu called out. 
 
 Victory, you are rtlyr^j'^r'''^ 
 the ohiM ' A J ^ pertectly splendid,' said 
 
 Ha!d , , "" '' ^^' "^ ^^« ^^ -other.' 
 Hand-in-hand they ran dowr, ih 
 
 and entered ih ' '°^^ corridors, 
 
 na entered the morning-rooui where Mrs Carlin. 
 ford and Mrs Frere wpr« i, •, Failing- 
 
 Mrs F.ere was . ^^^'^^ '"^"^^^ ^^^^^^er. 
 
 J^rere was reading to Mrs PflvUr^^f j , 
 emplovinff hor fi ^arhngfcrd, wlio was 
 
 "fijymg her finfjers over tsmn^ t 
 RnfJ, i„ r "^ ^^"cy needlework 
 
 s; a'ptr '°™ **■" "-"-«- -» -«■ 
 
 '"^"'■^'""•"'""i-t^'^aid her mother. 
 
speak to 
 
 ich's face 
 tided her 
 
 3 lo?i^ as 
 :ir]. She 
 r careful 
 the task 
 d repeat 
 tie book, 
 uttered 
 •st ever- 
 
 vindow. 
 ^•'iii the 
 h' said 
 
 mdors, 
 arling- 
 ?ether. 
 10 was 
 3work. 
 n the 
 
 THE SPELLING GIRL. 
 
 221 
 
 ' We have come, mother, to make a request,' replied 
 Nina-' Peach and I; and we want to make it in 
 the name of both Odds and Evens. You understand 
 — don't you, mother?' 
 
 • Yes, so far I understand,' answered Mrs Carling- 
 ford. 'What is it, dear?' 
 
 ♦Tell us all about it, Nina,' said Mrs Frere 
 smiling. 'I wonder if it has anything to do with 
 the request which was made to my husband this 
 morning ? ' 
 
 •Did Prue ask him anything?' inquired Nina 
 eagerly. 
 
 •Yes: but please speak out yourself now.' 
 Thus adjured, Nina turned to her mother. 
 ' We are going to have a feast this day week,' she 
 said. 'The feast will take place at seven o'clock in 
 the evening. We are going to have it on the lawn 
 in front of the house. We will put up the tent, 
 and have all kinds of good things. We want you,' 
 mother, and Dr Frere, and you. Mrs Frere, to be 
 present; and afterwards, when the feast is over, 
 something very important has got to happen.' 
 
 'And what is that?' asked Mrs Carlingford, smil- 
 ing up into I^ina's beautiful face. 
 
 'Well, mother, Rosaleen and I have each decided 
 to recite something.' 
 
 • You and Rosaleen ? ' said Mrs Frere. ' But, why, 
 
 in 
 
 ei 
 
 ■'i ) 
 
 ! I 
 
 I „ - . 
 "Ilf ;f ■'! 
 
 If 
 
1 
 F' ) 
 
 222 
 
 THE SPELLING GFRL. 
 
 "ly cl.ar Nina, you are grown up an.I lin i • 
 only a little ghl' ^ ' ""'' ^^°'^^^'^^" ^« 
 
 'Nevertheless v-e have so docidcd/ replied Nina 
 turning and „ancin, at Mrs Frere with a rull l-!^ ,' 
 —- .n her Uuo eyes. The eyes sj ^ 
 ^^y, Ask nie no furflK.r' at i- 
 
 ^•^'s. yes, she said; 'vou ar^ Jwi • 
 soniethinc.' i ^ '^ lecite 
 
 ' We each of us are noma- to n^ni • , . 
 
 will J &^"^to i-o leei , we each of n«< 
 
 will do our utmost to do as .m .1 • 
 
 possiblo W '° ^« as fe^ood a lec.tation as 
 
 po s,ble. We want mother and Dr Frere to be ih 
 .)" .OS of Which girl has done best. After L re r 
 '^^;^ ;vo are going to run a mi,e race.' 
 
 lioally, I do not at all know that I approve of 
 these races for girls,' remarked Mrs CVH P 1 
 with slight annoyance in her tone '"'' 
 
 'Well, just this once, mother; and you know I 
 lovo running; said Nina. 
 
 ' But, again, the difference between aou ? ' « 1 • , 
 Mrs Frere "ten^ou? exclanned 
 
 N 
 
 Oh, of course I shall be ha, 
 
 ina. 
 
 'Tl 
 
 10 
 
 "tlieapped,' replied 
 ^•-owdl be perfectly fair; the umpires 
 
 »;'all judge; and after .-o,,, dear mother, 
 
 have pronounced 
 
 you and Mrs Frere to 
 
 and Dr 
 
 your verdict, we will ask 
 
 go away, for thej 
 
 ■e i.s a little 
 
THK SPELriNG GIRL. 223 
 
 secret .natte.- wl.ieh we cannot e.pi.in. and every- 
 th.nff hang,, on whether I am victorious or Ro»aJn 
 
 A half-startled, half-pleased look came into Mr, 
 I-ro, eye,; .he .lanced at Mr, Carli„,ford 
 Ne,U,„r ot the ladie, .„,, a word for a mome;. 
 V,ul, ,|„ a_„„„.j j™, „,„„,„^ j^^^_.^, ^^.^ 
 
 'Of ,„u„e. dear, gladly; b„t ,,„„,^ ^.^^ 
 -It too n,„d. l™,.ning difficult piece,. We want 
 you chddren to have a very free and happy time 
 
 Without anv lessors fr. » ^ i ■ 
 
 y lessons to worry diinng these holi- 
 days. 
 
 'That ia what I think, mother.' ,aid Pea^h, heav- 
 ing a deep ,igh as she spoke. 
 
 ■Dear me. Poach!' cried her mother, -you arc very 
 nearly as pale as Fred.' 
 
 ■Oh mother.' said Nina. 'I ,,m glad ,„„ ,,„„■„<,,<, 
 -e. I want to tell you that there is nothing at all 
 ^.matter wHh Fred-I n.ean nothing the n.atter 
 w. h h,s health. He is perfectly well, and will bo 
 m In, usual spirit, when the feast i, over. He i, 
 a Ltth, anxious in hi, „,ind; that i, all. Don't oues- 
 t.on^h.m^,e„,e, mother darling, „or take any notice 
 
 'His dreadful 
 
 Poach 
 
 moonj', moony ^^ay,s,' interrupted 
 
 r 
 
 M 
 
 
 IF 
 
ill!' 
 
 224 
 
 111 
 
 THE SPELLING GIRL. 
 
 Both girls laughed, and a moment later 
 aether. 
 
 togetl 
 Meanwhile Rosal 
 
 went out 
 
 'een was as busy as busy could 
 
 be. If ever a little girl was determined 
 
 was. She dreamt of her 
 
 to win, she 
 ^u ^. o . victory at night, and 
 
 thought of .t during the daytime; she talke,! of it 
 
 *°.,f 7 "'•"'^^"^ ■^''° '-d a chance of being alone 
 with her, and whimpered it to Prudence and Patience 
 
 Z ,7 "7 *"'" ^''^''y ■-* of the subject. 
 She had wor^ced her slave, as she termed the 
 r^tof the Evens, very hard during those da.s. 
 They were ol.hged to hear her recite two and thL 
 t™es a ,,ay, and each evening she ran the mile rj 
 Amy running with her, and getting very hot and 
 tnea lu consequence. 
 
 Any, I hal forget all my sp,„i„g^ ,^„ 
 
 qu,te confused. I am no' meant to be one of those 
 dreadful athletic young la, lies.' 
 
 ■Indeed, that you are not,' replied Eo,saleeu, with 
 -me scorn .You 're nothing but a dreadfu, pr„sy 
 ^P.l.ng-g.rl. I'm 'shamed to own y„„ f„.. , .^J 
 
 But you wont like it at an when I have drawn up 
 -y n,les for the peace; you had better be pleasant 
 
 will h r% ""'• "" '"*"^^ '^" ^™ "hMren 
 r " have to do pretty much a, I like, and you had 
 hotter begin to humour me now.' 
 
went out 
 
 sy could 
 win, she 
 t,'ht, and 
 ed of it 
 Jg alone 
 Patience 
 subject. 
 Jed the 
 ie days. 
 d tliree 
 ile race, 
 lot and 
 
 r' said 
 
 Ld gets 
 
 those 
 
 , with 
 prosy 
 sister. 
 vn up 
 sasant 
 Idren 
 1 had 
 
 THE SI'EM.FNO (MRL. 225 
 
 They all laughed at this, for they di<l not expect 
 for a single moment that Rosaleen would win But 
 Rosaleen herself was determined to win; and, what 
 18 more, she was determined not only to be queen 
 of her own little party, but Queen of the Gipsies 
 as well. She thought of this as the height of all 
 worldly bliss. How could she con^pass it ? By what 
 possible means could she secure tl>e ten pounds 
 which she would have to give to the present beanti- 
 ful Queen before she was allowed to take possession 
 of her throne? Suddenly an idea occurred to 
 her. 
 
 'My enemies might give it to me if I am victor' 
 «he said to herself; 'between them they might all 
 subscribe. I would not tell them why I have read 
 m history that victorious kings levy taxes on their 
 vanquished subjects. I could levy a tax on every 
 one of those horrid Odds. They are sure to have 
 money. Now. just let me think. Nina-she '11 have 
 to give me two sovereigns, Ken two sovereigns 
 and Malcolm two sovereigns, and the little ones 
 a sovereign each: that would be eight sovereigns- 
 and then my very own would give me the remain' 
 mg two pounds. Yes, they would easily make it 
 up. They are as rich as they can be. they have all 
 got accounts in the savings-bank, and they can give 
 their money to the victorious queen; and then I'll 
 
 The Odds and the Evens. q "^ " 
 
 w 
 
 ., rii 
 
 :\n 
 
 I! !J 
 
 [■I , 
 
 .Mf !• 
 
226 
 
 uJ 
 
 THE SPELLING GIRL. 
 
 psi 
 
 ^G Queen of the G 
 them always; but I 
 two or three days at a tim 
 lue. Even if mother 
 proud of my i,^ij^^ ^ 
 
 a crown. Oh, it 'h lovely-] 
 
 I iit'etl not live with 
 cm go awuy with them 1 
 
 *ind nobody w 
 
 ould 
 
 »"is8ed ino, she would 1 
 queen, a lie^re lady vvl 
 
 or 
 
 IJI1,S.S 
 
 >e Very 
 
 lo wore 
 
 it.' The little .riH j 
 
 '^^^^^yl I'll certainly do 
 
 Innced up and do 
 
 Arny, who wa.s lying full-le.urtl 
 raised her face to watch her 
 
 wn. 
 
 1 on the m 
 
 'a.ss. 
 
 Ihen you're a very silly mrl T o 
 -y^t now You listen. Doesn't it go fi„eV 't 
 I'ttle g„-l struck an attitude. 'This is the . t 
 am not quite sure of. Now you e Z 
 
 the book' QK .1 ^ '''''' '"^- Take 
 
 tie book. She threw a book as she snoko of i 
 sistei- 'TLJr.^ Spoke at her 
 
 '• ^^^'^ ^^^««' now I'm on; listen: 
 
 There ,s always somewhere a weakest spoL 
 " J^"'>. tne. felloe, in spring or thill, 
 in panel, or cross-bar, or floor, or 
 
 Oh, botherr interrupted R„„a,oe„, sudden,, b-oakins 
 off. 1 never could think of tho.e l,orrid word^ 
 
THE SI'ELMNcj (jiur,. 
 
 227 
 
 iOt Ot H[)t'llm^r hy \l> 
 
 ' YoH, tliuL 's (lie l(Gs^ of u • • i * 
 
 know 1 f . ' ""'^ '^"'>' 'J '"-'V^'l' 
 
 knew Lefure how to .spell "felloe-" if 'm v • 
 
 aunced in front of her. 
 
 ■Give it „p_gi,„ it „p, „„^^,^^,_^ ^^.^ ,^^_^ 
 tl".W dopond, „„ ,„j. b,.i„,. Wetono,,.,. Give „,o Uk> 
 
 book, .,,d ri, ..„„,„,, ,^ 2 
 
 «n.i at the end of ,„df..„,,„„r I,, ,. back with 
 you a^a,n; and then we'll bnild the chaise. Oh 
 what tun! what fiin!' ' 
 
 ■How I ,,,t, ,,„,i^^^, ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ,^^^ ^^^ 
 
 hate Rosaleen ,„ her present „,ood ! It is all ho.rid 
 -ho„,d.' She thought di,s,„ally over the fast-fleeting 
 "day. 'TheywiU go on the wings of the wind 
 Bho .^,d to herself; -and evervthin,, is so dull. I 
 w.sh l..ed were here. Fred and I „,i,ht really have 
 a pleasant time.' ^ 
 
 There came a rustic in the gra.s., near, and a 
 momen afterwards a pale-faced, sad little boy 
 dropped himself down by Amy's side. 
 
 'I heard you say that, and I am obliged to you 
 Amy,' said Fred. ^ ' 
 
 ■IT^anks,' replied Amy. <! wi.,h you would cheer 
 up, Fred. 
 
 * Oh 1 I like being near you. I did like being near 
 
 
 hi 
 
m I 
 
 228 
 
 Kosaleoji; but sJu 
 
 aE HI'KLLINc; (JIHL 
 ia so qiioor. You know I 
 
 Ml U 
 
 sort Of a spy; it'n an awful position for ,„e to 
 hoUl. 
 
 'Well, it is somewhat contomptiblc,' replied Amy 
 •but think of all the spelling you'll learn. You'll 
 forget that you were a spy when you 're grown up 
 an.l you'll be one of the best spellers in yon. class.' 
 You 11 never be plouglu^d on account of your spell- 
 mg; lots of fellows are, I can tell you.' 
 ^ 'Are they ? ' answered Fred. ' You know I think 
 it 18 horrid to learn spelling.' 
 
 ' What do you think of the"" Torricellian vacuum " ? ' 
 «aid Amy, looking full at Fred. <I found it this 
 morning under "T" in the dictionary. There are 
 lovely words under "T." "Torn.entll" is another 
 word. Aren't they delicious ? ' 
 
 'I don't think so,' answered Fred. 'It gives me 
 a headache to hear you speak them.' 
 
 'Oh, well then, I won't. You look quite sad 
 to-day. I don't know what to n.ake of you ' 
 
 'I suppose I'll be all right this day week.' said 
 *red. 'Nina is sure to win.' 
 
 'Don't you be too sure that Nina will win 
 Rosaleen is frightfully clever when she likes; she's 
 learning such a wonderful thing, full of the most 
 difficu t spelling words. That's my one comfort; I 
 shall learn a lot of new words. It's an American 
 
THE SPELLINO OIRL. 
 
 220 
 
 po..n called .-Tho Wo„,l„,.f,„ Ono-Hos., Sl,„,-. sh 
 
 <- .t .0 d..a„.aUeai„-t,„e Who word/.,.. : 
 bom actress, i, Ro.salo..n.' 
 
 'So it »„e,nV answero-; ?,..,d. .Ql, Amy! if ,„„ 
 one wore to find us n- w.' ^ 
 
 ■Well, why should .l„,r . plied Amy. -J „,„ 
 -y a„.io„, to have so. , „„e eo talk I. I, 
 
 itjUstns dullftS you do r\.mo 1 
 
 tne trees. VVe Evens have got tin's conso 
 
 ^our.K.s;t,,eOddsa.faire„ou|,Im,;i; 
 
 a of the,n except y„u_a„d they never come to 
 
 1-1 f the th,ek trees; it will be beautifully cool 
 I 11 tell you a story about a little boy who missed 
 
 hrw:~: rV""™" '° ^^'^"' ^^'^^ ''-« 
 
 would not study his spellin.r.- 
 'Couldn't you make up tho"story about the bov 
 domg something else ? ' asked Fred 
 
 Jo, for nothing else is so interesting,' replied 
 Amy. Here, come along.' She took her little com,- 
 
 rr:f r;:r" '""'''' ^'"-" -- 
 
 ; How lovely they are! 'said Fred, looking up. 
 Oh. never mind about that; think of a lo",g word 
 which means lovely, and spell it to me ' 
 'I won't; you're quite crazed on spelling' 
 fl.. I'm not crazed,' answered Amy, ijning back 
 
230 
 
 THE SPELLING GIRL. 
 
 against the trunk of one of the trees. 'I'.n not 
 
 crazed a bit; b„t I have .;ot a speciality. Spell 
 
 " speciality." ' ^ 
 'I won't.' 
 
 •Well, you need not; Imt you '11 never learn unless 
 you take the opportunities ^rranted to you Think 
 of being great own friend to a specialist like me 
 Every one has to have a speciality in theso days 
 I shall coaeh for spelling, if nothing else turns up 
 when I am old.' 
 
 ■I should think you couhl; .,aid Frod. 'I should 
 tlunk by the time you are old there won't be a word 
 in the Engli,h language you eould„'t spell' 
 _ ^There's scarcely that now,' replied Amy proudly. 
 My masters and mistresses at .school praise me 
 tremeudo„.,ly for the way I spell; and I write 
 very neatly too,' she added. 'I am certain to get 
 on. She tossed hack her head of fair hair, and a 
 pleased expression stole acros.s her face. 
 
I 'in not 
 V. Spell 
 
 231 
 
 •n unless 
 Think 
 like me, 
 sc days. 
 urns up 
 
 [ should 
 a word 
 
 proudly. 
 liso me 
 I write 
 to get 
 , and a 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A BETWIXT. 
 
 yANWHILE some one eke was the 
 «=ve«e of pleased; tliat some one ehe 
 was Peach Carlingford. Peaeh was 
 - unhappy; there was no doult what- 
 cve,- on the subject. She ha.1 not been .sure of 
 he fet for some time; but .he no longer doubted 
 .t. She wa. alone-very much alone. Nina, who was 
 kmd to her as elder si.,ter can be kind to younger 
 was not all-sufficient. Peaeh needed companions' 
 of her own age, and she had none. She thought 
 yearn.ngly of Amy, whom she liked very m„eh; of 
 Rosaleen who many a time in the old days had 
 fascmatod her out of all thought of self; b„t „,o,t 
 of all, mo.,t deeply of all, did she yearn for Fred 
 or Fred wa« her twin, her very own. Had they not 
 been bab.es together ? Had they not ridden for such 
 » long tn„e in the same perambulator ? Had they not 
 
 
If,,! 
 
 i "< 
 
 232 
 
 A BETWIXT. 
 
 sat nt tho same numerytablo ? Had thoy not worn 
 -oh ! that wa., such a long time ago-littlo frocks 
 »o hke that no one know which wa, Po„ch and 
 wh,ch was Frcd?-for in those days they had been 
 very, very like in face, the same expression in their 
 eyes the same contour of feature, the same little 
 ■shock-heads. Now, it is true Fred's eyes were brown 
 and Peach s gray, but in the distance people ,lid not 
 notice that; and so alike were the twins that her 
 mother had decorated Peach with a bow of cherry 
 nbbon in order that she might always be known 
 from Fred. How passionately they had loved each 
 
 other in those days' Pennl, tu„ .i 
 
 '"•'''■ '^f'™'. the stronger character 
 
 of the two, leading Fred where she liked; Fred 
 obeying Peach, and admiring her, and consulting 
 her; and Peach happy a, little sister ought to bo 
 with such a devoted brother. 
 
 Now everything was changed; they were no 
 onger young children. They had parted, however 
 from their closest of all companionships when one 
 M to go to a iris' school and the other to a boys'; 
 but still thoy had loved each other, had no secrets 
 from each other, had spent every moment they could 
 m the society of each other. Now Fred was almost 
 lost to Peach. It is true that he still .sat by her 
 side whenever she could induce him to do so; but 
 
 he was a silent, morose little boy, with 
 
 a longinir 
 
y not worn 
 ■ittle frocks 
 Peach and 
 y had been 
 on in their 
 same little 
 i^ere brown 
 )lo (lid not 
 8 that her 
 
 of cherry 
 be known 
 oved each 
 
 character 
 ;ed; Fred 
 consulting 
 ?ht to be 
 
 were no 
 however, 
 ■vhen one 
 ) a boys' ; 
 10 secrets 
 ley could 
 IS almost 
 b by her 
 
 so; but 
 
 longing 
 
 A HLirvviXT. 
 
 233 
 
 On thi, particia,. ,.fto„„:o„, v.l,„„ F,-,,!, cent™,- 
 to the rules of w„,.f,.,.,, ,,„„, ,t„,„„ ,^i,.„ 
 
 :r'h T'r i ^"^ '-^ «°-'-' -^ <- -„ 
 
 ga then,, Peacl, founj ,.e,..so.f q„it„ a,„„„. T„e 
 ea.ly dmner was over; tl,e dullest time o£ tl,e dw 
 -at hand. It was too hot to go out an^ 
 t>.e ahe ter of the trees, the refuge of a ^^,2 
 
 the httle shelf where the nur.,„ry books were kept 
 took down the S^ks Fa.uly MoHnson. an,l, tuek- 
 ng .t .nournfully under her ar.n, went out. She 
 .ad read the ^.« ^„,„,, ^,,.,^^„ ^,„,^^^ 
 
 I .-ed t.™es. She knew every event in that f.,einat- 
 
 Z :, '"""*•"" ""*■ S1.0 adored the book ; 
 
 '.ut he great interest in it was over. Still, she 
 
 "ght as well have that as another; the ordh.ary 
 
 ones were not to her taste to-day. She would 
 take the ,„,.,„ ^,„,,,,^ ^„,.„^„^,^ ,__^^,^^ ^ ^__^_ 
 
 try to believe herself one of theTi, 
 
 She seleeted the most shady tree in the plantation 
 
 u ""I ^ "" "■""'" "' "'° ■'"-■ -' O-n, leant 
 
 «P aga nst the trunk, and opened the book. In five 
 
 nnnutes time she found herself nodding over the well- 
 worn pages. In her sleep she ,lrea,ned a dream " 
 dreamt tl 
 
 she and Fred were alone- alone 
 
 |i 
 
 on a 
 
 In! i-:| 
 
 i 1 ■ '1 
 
234 
 
 i m 
 
 A BETWIXT. 
 
 .losort .aland. They were <l„p,.iv.,! „£ ,.l,„o.t „„ tho 
 nocc.,»ri.s of life, but they were happy, intensely 
 I'-PPy, for they were together; and Fred Imd 
 .•osu.,,0,1 his old pleasant self, and the sorrows and 
 tronbles of this dark ti,ne were a. though they had 
 never fcen. Peach awoke with a start and looked 
 round. She wa., more discontented than ever What 
 wa. the matter with everybody? Why should all 
 the world be so gloomy? Why ahouW the lovely 
 hohdays be flying by in this unsatisfactory manner » 
 She must H„d Fred; she „,u,,t talk to him; she 
 must bring him back to her side „,.ain. Had she 
 been m any way to blame that he had so completely 
 deserted her? "^ 
 
 '16 all began the day Nina came back,' thought 
 leach to herself. -Fred was rude, and I was rud,. 
 an,, our quarrel began; and now everything seems 
 to 1.0 a quarrel. I „„|y „i,h y,^ ^^ ^^,^_^^ 
 
 over, and that we were back at school. Oh, I will 
 hnd Pred; I must linil him.' 
 
 She rose stretebcl he,.elf, left the despised Snnss 
 Fmmly RoHns.^ nnder the .shady tree, and pur..ued 
 her way along a very .sunshiny path in the direc. - 
 of the copse. She knew quite well that the E ■.„. 
 l>ad taken po.s.se.,sion of this special copse. I„de d 
 as she now approached she heard the sound of a 
 very high-pitched and determined voice deeh,i„inl 
 
).st all tho 
 intensely 
 ^red hud 
 ■rows and 
 thuy had 
 id looked 
 r. What 
 bould all 
 le lovely 
 manner ? 
 im ; she 
 Had she 
 mpletely 
 
 thought 
 as rude, 
 ? seems 
 '■s M'cro 
 , I will 
 
 I Swiss 
 Jur.sned 
 ireco; > 
 E "onr 
 [nde^d, 
 1 of a 
 
 iminiff 
 
 A BETWIXT. 235 
 
 the merits of a certain soi-t of chaise. The voice 
 rose shrill and sank low; sometimes it was full of 
 passion, and sometimes full of uncontrollable mirth 
 Poach stood still and listened; tl.on, feelin. ihnt 
 ■she was doing a <lishonourahlo thin, she dapped 
 her two hands to her ears an<l turned swiftly 
 away. "^ 
 
 She meant to mount a little rising knoll of groux ^ 
 and .It there and wait for Fred to make his appear-' 
 ance. She could not quite tell for certain that Fred 
 was m the copse, but she was almost sure he 
 was. She was almost sure, and this was the most 
 terrible sting of all, for Fred was an unworthy and 
 deceitful little boy. 
 
 She mounted the kn.- seated herself, tucked her 
 knees up close to her chin, clasped her hands round 
 them, and gaze<l disconsolately in front of her 
 Suddenly she heard a rustling to tho left ; and, look- 
 ing down, she saw a little way to the right of tho 
 knoll a girl seated u.der a tree, and a boy lyin.. at 
 her feet. The girl was Amy-Amy Fro re ; tho'l.oy 
 was Frod Carlingford. Peach gazed as thou..], the 
 sight would burn her vision. She rubbed her eyes 
 to make sure. If thoy looked up they could not 
 tail to see her; but would they look up? She 
 scarcely dared to stir; she did not want Fred to 
 know that she had discovered hin, in his dishonoui- 
 
 •I , ; 
 
 it ;■ 
 
236 
 
 A ^JETWIXT. 
 
 able and shabby conduct. She wondcvd if , 
 
 "^^ «'>o did not da..e to J , ?, ^ X^^f " "- 
 
 ■nent. Suddenly there c.«„o ,.„ J tot VT"" 
 Fred rai^Pr^ J.; '^^" dutross. 
 
 of ':„".• '?■,"" ^"'■"'^'' '^' *« "P««-,e 
 
 «. n .n ,,r : d°r'^ '"v' "'^ ''"°"' -^ 
 
 sister Pouch r./''""'"''^'' "»' '' «» hia 
 
 P.,,1 "'•"' '"' '"'"'* <« " sheet, 
 
 ■reach ruse slowly. 
 
 M am coming up to you, Peach. Don't donV 
 away/ cried Fred Hp fl. t- . ^o^t, dontgo 
 
 .;;;...., Jr;r.,,'r:t™" 
 
 P ach did not at first say a single woi-d Fr.1 
 
 crept nearer to her font i ,. T ^'^ 
 
 both nf 1 • ! ^'''' ^^^^' clasped it in 
 
 t>t'th of his, and pressed lii^ ),.^+ f ^ . 
 
 t' ^«sea Ills Jiot forehead acainst it 
 
 1 have a headnnho ' i,^ • i ^ to"«".>t jo. 
 
 be angry/ ' ^' "^"^ '°'"''' <'°«'t. don't 
 
 'oVZ'^!.''T'."''"'' ''"'"'> '" " '"- voice. 
 Ohdont! ™dFred. 'My head is ac.nng fit to 
 spiit. Let me press niTr f^, i i 
 Oi>, don't, don't be :;;,"'""' "" ^•°"- """^^ 
 'I am not,' ansM'ered Peach. 
 
 ^' But you are, or you are worse.' 
 'Yes, it is much woinp fl^o^ 
 
 reachinahopelesas,. ;i "'"■ '"^"^^''^'' 
 Fred glanced up ac nor. 
 
A BETWIXT. 
 
 237 
 
 ; You 're going to tell, I suppose,' ho said. 
 
 Oh no; tolling won't do any good,' repliod Poach. 
 
 She looked steadily at hin.; then her great big g.-ay 
 
 eyes filed with tears-fillod to overflowing;: 4 
 rolled down eaeh pale cheek. ' I had guesL i, and 
 now I am sure-that is all,' she said 
 
 'Yes/ said Fred very gloomily. ' You were quite 
 right, you always were monstrous clever' 
 
 'No, I was not; but I could not help seeing that 
 that IS why you are unhappy.' 
 
 ' Yes,' replied Fred, with a nod. 
 
 'About a week or ten days ago.' 
 
 'And you really belong to them?' 
 
 •I'm a betwixt,' said Fred. 
 
 'A betwixt? What is that?' 
 
 'I don't belong really to either side. I wouldn't 
 do either side an injury-that 's what I mean ' 
 
 Peach had no tears in her eyes now; they seemed 
 almo.st to scorch in the brightness of their gaze. 
 
 And you call yourself my brother!' she exclaimed. 
 
 used to be proud of you. I used to think it was so 
 n e to be a twin. I didn't know. I couldn't guess, 
 that you were to be a'^ 
 
 ,J\ '' °"'' ™" ^''^- '' -°"''' ™thcr you 
 spoke It out.' ^ 
 
 !l'-l! 
 
 1';:^ 
 
 f !i 
 
238 
 
 A BETWIXT. 
 
 taco, the mixture of pathos and an^er in ^ 
 eyes, terrifiecl Fred who 1 , • ^ ^'^'" 
 
 the ground tried to , " '^"'' '""'^^^"^^^^ «» 
 
 giouna, tried to grovel at Jier feet 
 
 ■01.1 get up; that makea it .or,o; said tl,o ,itt,„ 
 ! ■ \^'" g<»»S a»ay. I won't tell any one You 
 can go back to them-to Amv I 
 Kosaleen.' ^' ^ ""'*"■ '"'1 t" 
 
 'And won't yon-won'tyou-forgivemer 
 
 Vou wont tell any one? ' said Fred 
 'Tell!' exclaimed Peach. 'As if ti,.t 
 any good. No,l won't tell; out ';:"°""''° 
 I will do. Yon sl,n„'f . , ^°" "'•*' 
 
 •''""'' K'^ backwaid-s and forward. 
 You .shan't stay with the Odd,, now. I ^J^^^. 
 
 ^«t yo,, shan't bo with „, ,ea„,in„ , , :^ ' 
 N.na shall not thi,d< that you a,e hot f 
 
 ;:'«"'- t..„e, a, yon „u ht to'l "Jt 
 stiiy with the Even.,.' '^ ' 
 
 'But they don't want me' said V.^^ u 
 now in a state of terror- -it is „ ! ' "''° ™' 
 leen-it'<,R„ i ,? "''"»'>' ^'V and Rosa- 
 
 'een ,t s Rosaleen really. Pr„o and Patience know 
 
 nothing about it. You cannot mean what you TrI 
 
 -y.ng, Peach; you cannot possibly mean J "" 
 
 I mean that I shan't let you be a spy finding out 
 
'i^l^^ and 
 ■ look on 
 ' in lior 
 ngtJi on 
 
 A BETWIXT. 
 
 239 
 
 ' 
 
 our secrets/ said Peach. ' It 's tho meanest tiling in 
 all^ the world. I never heard of anything like it.' 
 'But you promised not to tell.' 
 ^ • I did, and I won't tell. I '11 tell you what I '11 do. 
 I'll stay with you always now, except just when 
 you're in bed at night. I'll stay with you; you'll 
 have to bear it. You can go back and tell those 
 Evens that I have found out, and that you 're not 
 going to them any more. You shall stay with me- 
 if you don't I'll tell, and Nina will lock you up.' 
 Oh ! you are too mean for anything. Go ! ' 
 
 Peach rose. Any action was better than none; 
 any companionship was better than no companion-' 
 ship. Even to walk about with a little boy who 
 was a spy was more exciting than to read the Swiss 
 Family Robinson for the hundred and first time. 
 Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright once 
 more. 
 
 'Go and tell Amy; she won't expect you again 
 when she knows.' said Peacli. 'I am going to wait 
 hero.' 
 
 Fred looked at her. Her face was so hard, so 
 defiant, that he knew she would have no mercy on 
 hun just r, vv Perhaps he could get away from her 
 by-and-by ; for tlie present he must follow Peach's 
 whim. 
 
 'It's aivful being a betwixt,' he thought to himself. 
 
 I / ■■ 
 
240 
 
 A UETWIXT. 
 
 'Peach is awful when she Jikes T 
 
 ^lorriU mean.' ^ '"Pi^^«" ^ am 
 
 •WeJI JhTf ^ fo^ ^''e twentieth time. 
 ^^11. What have vou nnm^ 
 
 "o;?- «:ked Rasaleen ''^'"^ ™"'' '^ 
 
 'Only this/ replied Fred 'P.o.k u ,. 
 
 «hek„o™,vbat^a„/she!; X "™"''^ 
 
 "^'k to you. and „„t „., ,,;^; ;™ «<* to go 
 
 her. but not at p.-e,enrr "" ""' """^ ''""' 
 for a little bit.' ^™ ""'''"'' '-■^■P«=' ™o 
 
 *I don't want you,' said r.osaI-.cn ■! „ 
 yo« eve,, ewore a.,e,ia„ce .„ n,„. ou'J: ''^ 
 poor sort of boy, anu r d„„f '"" "> " very 
 
 Amy. Go now- „e v "' ^™= "<»■ ^oes 
 
 ' " "ow, we are bu.9y. Go' 
 
 ^.a^tJCt X-;::^ 7 -'•' -n. bae. 
 
 - - and digni.: ^ ^ w;.?: T 
 respect than dirl fl.o ,7„„. wothy ol his 
 
 !een, or A 
 
 Rosa] 
 
 ^ler qnite unpj 
 
 did the clang: 
 
 ;erour 
 
 *I have 
 ^ome. 
 
 my, whose spelling , .anl 
 sant in the little boy's 
 back, Peach,' he said 
 
 feasant 
 come 
 
 answered 
 
 '•tting little 
 taking 
 
 li was m 
 eyes. 
 
 and they went silently down 
 
 Peach. She held out her 
 
 hand. 
 
 tiie hill ; they na.ssed 
 
A BETWIXT. 
 
 241 
 
 the tree under which the despi^.d S„l.. Family 
 Mobinson wns reposino-. ^ 
 
 'Pick up that book/ said Peach. 
 
 Fred went and picked it up immediately 
 
 'Go into the house d choose another book for 
 yourself from the shelf, and come back to n.e' 
 
 Fred obeyed. He chose a storybook by Fenn 
 and the two children sat down side by side 
 
 'You can read aloud to me/ remarked Peach- 'it 
 will do you good/ 
 
 'f^ut I hate reading aloud/ replied Fred 'Are 
 you going to be a sort of jailer to .ne, Peach ?' 
 
 ' That 's it/ answered Peach-' a sort of jailer But 
 nevr ,nd ; it s better than telling, isn't it? And 
 ^f I see you sneaking off to the Evens once more I 
 shall tell, so you must make up your mind.' 
 
 'But I have made it up. I am going to be very 
 good and nice to you, and you'll love me once 
 more.' said Fred in a more contented tone 
 
 He gazed up at his sister; and, naughty little boy 
 that ho was, poor Peach felt the comfort of his soft 
 warm presence. 
 
 I I 
 
 ■'ho Odds and the Evens. 
 
 N? : 
 

 242 
 
 innr for 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 HEPSIBAH LEE. 
 
 [EACH was a very determined, but all 
 
 the s,„ne a very kind, jailer. She 
 
 took ere that Fred should not have 
 
 an Idle moment. She kept him work- 
 
 her as he had never worked for her 
 
 read aloud to her; he had, in short, to make Poaeh', 
 t.me as hvely as pos.,ible. She planned short excur' 
 !7 -t" him. and took eare to talk all the time 
 She was a wonderful story-teller-quite a, .ood a, 
 Kosae^ .„ her way; and she told marvelloLti: 
 
 moral they were always stories about the good 
 
 nd the bad. The good always tri phed; the^ 
 
 ■ways eame to grief The b.„i either . suffer l^, 
 for the,rs.„s or repented under terrible eiroumsjr 
 
 I 
 
HEPSIliAH LEE. 243 
 
 «*d to ,„ak„ out that the sin, of such a ,nc.a„ «o,, 
 avvtui, awful suffering. 
 
 Fred u.od to look at he., with hi, eye, wide open- 
 
 r "'"'•";.'"" "'' '"""-^ -"'" «'-' down hi» checks 
 and .so„,etnne.s his baby lip,, would tren.blc. Poach 
 ^ the tre,nhli„g and noticed the tea,.. She never 
 .-tended that .he was well aware of the emotions 
 wlueh were passing in the little boys mind 
 
 •It will all bo at an end at the beginning of the 
 week, she said to herself • We „,i|i ,„ ,, , 
 
 once more, and Fred can be natural once more, and 
 110 wdl have learned his lesson, I think' 
 
 At last the important, most important, day dawned 
 It was a glorious day towards the „,iddle of August ■ 
 there was not a cloud in the sky. As the great ex- 
 ..nmation, the final test, was not .. take place until 
 the evenmg, the children were somewhat at a loss 
 how o employ the early hon,., the situation was 
 .-.together so strange. Fo-. a, the feast w„s to be 
 l.e,r own feast, they had subscribed an.ongst then,- 
 ves or money to carry it out. They couid have 
 
 rl . 1 ' " "^ -""■'■■"• »■' M"- Sweet 
 Fonnsed them unlimited supplies of cream and milk- 
 
 h..t they had to buy their own cakes, and to purcW 
 the... own t a and their own bon-.»„s, and they h" 
 
 if! lil 
 
244 
 
 HEPSIHAH LEE. 
 
 to 
 
 go to all the trouble of 
 
 which the 
 
 arranging the tent in 
 
 for 
 
 3at festival w 
 On this occasion it w.as absolutely impossiuzc xur 
 the Odds and the Evens not to meet; they were 
 meeting all the time ; they had to speak about the 
 way the tables were to be ai-ranged. 
 
 Nina ran into the tent early in the morning. She 
 was followed by Peach. 
 
 'Now then; she said, 'I think we'll have this 
 table for the Odds, and that table just below it for 
 the Evens, What do you say, Peach ? ' 
 But a clear, strong voice now interrupted her. 
 'I wisli the Evens to sit at the big table.' cried 
 the miperious voice of Rosaleen. 'I wish the Evens 
 to sit there, and this is my place.' Here she pointed 
 to the head of the table. 
 
 Nina frowned for a moment; she was a generous- 
 hearted girl, however, in the main. She respected 
 Rosaleen's youth, and would never dream of going into 
 open fight with her except on the main questions. 
 'Just as yon please,' she said lightly. 
 Peach's lips quivered. 
 
 ' Can't we all sit together, Odds and Evens, just 
 as we like?' she cried. 
 
 ' Well. I do really think that would be the best 
 plan; said Nina. 'I should be sorry to have mother 
 uncomfortable; she might be if she saw us at 
 
J tent in 
 
 ssible for 
 hey w'ere 
 bbout tlie 
 
 ng. She 
 
 avo this 
 w it for 
 
 her. 
 3,' cried 
 e Evens 
 pointed 
 
 snerous- 
 ispeeted 
 ing into 
 itions. 
 
 IS, just 
 
 le best 
 nother 
 us at 
 
 HEPSIHAH I.EE. 
 
 245 
 
 different tables. And Dr Frore is so kind th.t I 
 s.iould not want him to be worried ' 
 
 'Of course not/ cried Rosaleen, her eyes flashing, 
 blio snnply adored her father. 
 
 'Then suppose, Queen of the Evens, we agree to 
 amalgamate our forces during the ti.ne of the festi- 
 val, sa.d Nina. 'I really think it would be best. 
 What do you say?' 
 
 -I think it would be worst on most .-.ccounts/ ropliod 
 Rosaleen; 'but if it makes father anxious' 
 
 ■Well, as we hope the quarrel will be quite at 
 an end to-night, we don't want to make any one 
 anxious,' said Nina lio-Iifltr < \ i 
 
 . a .Nma liglitly. As you please, of course ; 
 
 but If you are deter.nined to have the top table for 
 your I arty, we must know in.mediately. Dr Frere 
 wdl probably sit at our table, however, and my 
 mother at yours; that would be the natural thin.- 
 would it not?' " 
 
 'Oh, I could not have that for a moment'' 
 exclaimed Rosaleen. <! „.„t be near my darling 
 father. Yes, yes ; let us mix up for the time ' 
 
 Accordingly this was arranged. Ro.saleen ran out 
 ot the tent, and met Amy. 
 
 'Come along, An.y,' she said; 'we're mixed. It 
 wdl be a wonder if we'll ever be separate again. 
 The Odds and the Evens are mixed up for the feast 
 and I am bothered more than I cai. say.' 
 
 i I 
 
 iiii 
 
 . ,1 
 
2-AO 
 
 HFI'.SIBAII |j.;k 
 
 Amy 
 
 i"«lH-cl, however, with pleasure. 
 
 I ^tm glHcl/ she replied. «I am sick 
 
 Oh! 
 
 you re a mean lot/ said Rosaleen. <It 
 
 of this %ht. 
 
 ""likely-very unlikely indeed-that 
 co.ne to an end to-nioht. For of 
 
 s ver' 
 
 win ; and if I ^v 
 fords will have to 
 
 the h'ght will 
 
 course, I shall 
 
 in, Nina and the rest of the Oarling- 
 
 Hgree to 
 
 my terms. 
 
 she 
 
 my did not say anything.. In her hear 
 ely desired the vietn.nr fn u^ . 
 
 ■t of hearts 
 
 sineen 
 
 ,^p v;. £• ^. '' "" """ '-'" i-'ie side 
 
 N.n., tor Ho.,al„e„, „„,„,,, „„, „^^ ^_^ 
 
 l.ero any of he,. ™t™ during the pa.t,a„„,onth3 
 The preparation., for the fea.,t went on with 
 -SO„r; ove^-thing w„., arranged in the most perfect 
 annon,^ Rosa.een, having oneo yielded, thought 
 
 ot keep rather out of the way. and the 1 of 
 the h.ldren were only too glad to follow Nina', 
 n?rectroMa Thev Im.l f„ „• , i>inas 
 
 t.t. .s ol flowers, and these were placed in long 
 
 ::'"t''7""--'-ofthef,.tiveboard;an! 
 """ "'," '"'^■'■''' ""■ .i"g» of len,onade, the iu<^, of 
 
 -an. thej„n,<et,,,al, the various goo., thin.,:, ieH 
 
 ere p,.ov,ded ,,y Mnd-hearted Mrs Sweet "n^ 
 then- appearance. ' ^' 
 
 «airPei",;,;,''f ^''--'''-^^-n-to.day,. 
 
 What a g,and, splendid feast it i,l' 
 At last every possible p,vpa,-atio„ wa» „,ade, and 
 
HEPSIBAH LEE. 
 
 247 
 
 Jong 
 
 the children went back to the ]mu«o. Tlioy were to 
 assemble on the lawn to conduct their parents, and 
 in especial the two arbiters of thair fate, into the tent 
 not later than half-past six o'clock. They were all 
 to be dressed in their best for the occasion. 
 
 Amy, having seen to every possible tlnng that 
 she could with regard to the arrangen.ents for the 
 great feast, walked slowly back to the house She 
 had not seen Rosaleon for a couple of hours. She 
 ran up to her room now, and, entering quickly and 
 noisily, shouted out: 
 
 'It's tiu.e to dress, Rose; it's time for you to be 
 getting into your finery.' 
 
 There was no reply to this sf^eech, however, and 
 she looked around her, to perceive, to h.r consterna- 
 tion, that the room was empty. It was already six 
 o clock. In less than half-an-hour the children ought 
 to be all present on the lawn to welcome their guests. 
 Amy gave a vexed cry. 
 
 'Dear, dear,' she said to herself, 'what a terribly 
 troublesome girl Rosaleen is; and on such an impor- 
 tant occasion, too, not to be present! What are we 
 to do ? ' 
 
 She stood for a moment considering, then said to 
 herself, with a hasty excla.nation : 
 
 'Well, whatever happens, I do not intend to be . 
 sight; this kind of thing has never been a fault oi 
 
 !::i 
 
 ; II 
 
248 
 
 HEF'.SIHAH LEE. 
 
 'I 
 
 mine from first to li^f t „i 
 
 10 jast. I always meant to be a 
 perfectly good nttle gi.,. I ,„ „„, J" J 
 
 «nt,.Iy and disreputable in n,y dress not- 
 
 w.th her tclet, darting anxious glances in the mean- 
 ™e at the ,itt.e Cock „„, he mantelpiece and 
 
 Would to roo,n-door ever open to ad,„it the u tid'y 
 and w.ld]y-excited little person of Eosaleen. 
 
 ShtT tV'""" "'° " -"•■y-«-l>ed white frock. 
 She brushed out her long fair hair and tied it with 
 blue r.b on; she took „p her neat sailor-hat "l^ 
 
 ooked at her white gloves; she looked down at h 
 neat shoes and stockings. Never was there a more 
 perfect-looking little girl, the very essence of nel 
 ness and propriety. 
 
 Kolr."""""'^^"^'-^"'"'— ^erewas 
 
 •I must go and look for her; she has forgotten n... 
 
 Wht can be the matterr thought Amy t! herself 
 She ran downstair.,. In the hall she saw Peach. 
 
 neat n r ""I "' '" "" °"=^'°°- ^he looked 
 neat, pale, and anxious as usual. 
 
 ' Oh Amy, is that you ? ' said Peach. ' Where are 
 you going?' ^^ *^^^ 
 
 'I am going to look for Rosaleen' 
 
 'Rosaleerr? Hadn't she come in yet ? Isn't she 
 
249 
 
 HEPSIBAH LEE. ^^^ 
 
 dressing? Kina has alreadv „. ^ 
 
 field.' -^ ^''"^ ^°wn *o the 
 
 ;l am going to Iool< for her/ said Amy. 
 Would you like me to eou.e with vou f Tf 
 - ii' we might be fnonds for the next ll "" 
 'Oh,come if you like/ replied Ar" 
 
 ^;^-opse.she.prohahl^doi;lr Jt^n 
 recitation.' * ^*' ^^*^ ^t 
 
 T..0 Wo gi,.,., oI„.ped hands and .an across the 
 
 lawn. The copse was a quarter of a mile 
 
 they reached it hot and pantin. T ^"^' 
 
 ^f T? 1 panting. IJiere was no siifn 
 
 rooks spff1m«. ^ /. " ^' **"^ '^ome 
 
 ouks setthng down for their nightly repose. 
 
 ^^^.'^'">y<^:-naAu,y. .Let's come alon. • 
 
 But ,. .t „at nron,ent Peach uttered an excW 
 fon m,y. there she i.s,' she cried. .She's sHnd 
 -ng there hy the hedge. She's tdkin„ 
 
 dec ue ,t ,, a g,psy „„„„„. jjow exciting. I ,ud 
 
 P0.e^.e s one of the gi,sie.s w,.„ ,,a.e ,etL d ;„ 
 
 in the Plantagenet Woods.' 
 
 ^"'y felt her :,ear^ tuning cold Sh. ^'a 
 know anything .,i Kosaleen'sv^^to ^ 
 t'ufc she did know ..,e ':ttl. • V ^'P'^'"' 
 
 ^egard to them. She said hastily: 
 
 '^^ou had better stay wh.rp .ran ^re "- ' r-r 
 lun to Rosaleen and reaand her.' 
 
 !' 
 
 
250 
 
 f i 
 
 ,' (1 
 
 Hll U 
 
 It I't 
 
 if; 
 
 
 HEI'SIBAH LEE. 
 
 (. I 
 
 Peach s ooci .till. Amy darted acmss the gra^s 
 and ru.,l,ed „„ to her siste. The soft grass did not 
 eel.o her advancing footsteps, „„d she heard Rca- 
 leen. who was eagerly holding couverse with Hopsibah 
 1^0, say emphatically: 
 
 •I think I'll be able to bring yon the money to- 
 morrow evening; and when I do' 
 
 S1.0 had scarcely uttered the words before Amy 
 laid her hand on h,;r shoulder. 
 
 ■Oh, don't! Oh, what's that?' cried Eosaleon, 
 flashing rcnmd. 
 
 'Its ,„e,' said Amy. .You bavc g„t to c„n,e. 
 It s nearly half-pa.,t six. You're a perfect sight.' 
 
 Oh, an, I? Good-bye. Hepsibah, good-bye. As 
 ■* "^'d hclore, I am sure to' 
 
 Hepsibah put up a warning fing„.. to her lips 
 Kosaleen blushed, a„d turned back with An,y 
 
 ■What did you «>„,e .spjing round me for?' cied 
 Rosaie™. .J ,urte hate you when you do that sort 
 
 ■But I didn't want you to W late What were 
 you d„n,g with that woman; and why did vou tell 
 her you would bring her n.oney ? W.y, you'have.-* 
 got any money.' 
 
 'If you t,eir— ,,icl RosaJeen. She leaked 
 fiercely at Jior little sister. 
 •I'm not goin^ to tell.' replied An,,- 
 
 '■^X h 
 
 rtsah 
 
 I 
 
HEPSIBAII LEE. 
 
 the grass 
 !s did not 
 brd Ro-^a- 
 Hepsibah 
 
 loney to- 
 
 'I'e Amy 
 
 ^osaloon, 
 
 o cotne. 
 iight.' 
 ye. As 
 
 er lips, 
 
 T 
 
 cuod 
 
 lat sort 
 
 t were 
 ou tell 
 iavei» I 
 
 looked 
 
 251 
 
 don't think I .sliall f^ll r.,* n >i 
 
 like fn 1. ' ""^ ^'^' ''^"^^' ^ «^^0"W 
 
 Jikc to know what it means' 
 
 ' Well, you won't know what it ,nenns; and if yon 
 
 Rosaloen Hashed another wildly indi-^nauf 
 
 ^•Janee at Amy. ^ " ' 
 
 A-y »hnt ho.. „>. ■ VV„„t .„,„„,„,,„ ,„„,,„, 
 
 «. I bo .en .„ thi., ,,„,.,,,, ei,„„ i. „,„,, ,,„ 
 
 :""' "' '"■■■^'^"- ^"'l -- "... two n,t,o „,,, ,,„, 
 
 1';/'" *'t '■'''" '^•''' P-'"«- --tod to Hy on 
 all l>y liorsolf to tho house. 
 
 ■What wa»«ho doing wit;, that woman?' asked 
 Poacl, a. she and A„,y followed n.o.e slowly. 
 
 Oh. I don't know; answered An,.v, and ,,I,e bl„sho,I 
 
 Poacli g,va.i at hor in wonder. 
 
 •|>>n't y,M. think we ro all rather miserable ^ she 
 said slowlv. 
 
 'Ve,s, I do,'««^ered Amy, tears Hllint. her ores 
 i^ont you wish th. fight was quite over?' coi, 
 anued Peach. 
 
 '^\ «ion't I, beyond word.s to say.' 
 ;Well, I expect it will oomo to an end fcn-ni.ht 
 
 »ina will w 
 
 wxM-s shf choc^es. 
 
 in, of c(,urse. Ni 
 
 na is quito splendid 
 
 . •! 
 
 ^i i'^i 
 
 I I 
 
II 
 
 11 i 
 
 
 252 
 
 HEPSIBAH LEE. 
 A.„y dW not ,,ay anything. I„ hor heart of hearts 
 sI>o longed beyond word, for Nina to win- but li 
 -the d of .peaking. She wait d do J I 
 
 '': "'■ ^''""' '■"-^^ "'-dy gone to the «eld 12 
 Rosaleen made her appearanee. 
 
 « "wrher",::™;, ':-■ - - 
 
 red ribbon ^, ""'' '''^^' ^ I'^'^'«« "f 
 
 sair'No'7/"' "'' '^^^^ ^oo.Jy-,oody/ .he 
 \ ^"^" *^^"' ^-^'11 bo with the others i„ a 
 
 -nute; and remember, ,ouVe not to tell' 
 
 ^ It you keep reminding me/ replied Amy 'I'll 
 
 just tell; because yo„ won't nil. .' 
 
 .1. ^ wont allow mo to think- nf 
 
 anythmcr else ^^r^r.'4■ "* 
 
 ^ « else. Don t say any more. I don't w-mf 
 
 to get you into a scrape.' ^ont Mant 
 
 'Then that's all riaht' 
 
 the"';!™;'"'? """'""^ '"^ 'awn and entered 
 the by held where the tent was ereeted and 
 
 amved. Ur Frere and Mrs Ca.Iingford, being the 
 
 surrounded bv twn f K. '''*"'=''■ *<« 
 
 Peach a„ri'^;lXrf;'''"™'^"''''^°''^ 
 -^." in her gentie wafl ^:;^Z: 
 
 -theyahno.,t always did when she w'a.:i 2' 
 
I 
 
 if; 
 
 ni 
 
•in 
 
 '^V 
 
 'r, 
 
 Ml 
 
 1 1 1^ 
 I'll 
 
 1 Ji-if 
 
 The next instant that .sovereign 
 
 was in the pocket of her little red frock. 
 
 Page 253 
 
HEPSIBAH LEE. 
 
 
 # 1 
 
 Dck. 
 E253 
 
 26.^ 
 
 'You know, little mother, you 're quite the very 
 nicest little mother in all the world,' said Rosaleen, 
 now rnshin^r up to her parent and flino' her arms 
 round her neck. 'There's no one uu than you. 
 unhvsH perhaps it is my own dear father. Where is 
 he? I want to hug him.' 
 
 Dr Frere was stooping down to pick up somethin.r, 
 when a sudden shout .sounded in liis ears, and a pah- 
 of arms were Hung tightly round his neck, causing 
 hnn almost to stagger; then he rose to his feet 
 with a laugh, lifting Rosaleen as he did so into 
 his arms. 
 
 What is it, Rose? You almost upset my 
 balance,' he cried, with a laufrh. 
 
 'I wanted to hug you. I am in a monstrous good 
 humour,' said Rosaleen. She kissed her father ayain 
 frantically. 
 
 He returned her embrace, then saying gently, 
 'No more at esent my dear,' put her back on 
 the ground. But just at that n.oment, and before 
 any one else could see, Uosale- n's quick eyes had 
 been attracted by a bright object. She looked down. 
 There was a sovereign on the ground. It must have 
 dropped out of her father's pocket. She did not 
 know why-she never for a single moment had meant 
 to get money by underhand means before-but the 
 next instant that sovereign was in the pocket of her 
 
 tel 
 
 I'U' 
 
 
IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
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 1.25 1.4 
 
 1.6 
 
 
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 Photographic 
 
 Sdences 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. H580 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
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 <b\^ ^\ WrS 
 
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254 
 
 HITS r 15 AH LEE. 
 
 little red fioclc. Dr Fier.. hnri . • 
 
 nor },.,rl "'"'^ ""•'^^e^ the money 
 
 no. }iacl any one seen Rosaleen's dpff 
 
 Her e>e,s worn ff u- r. " movement. 
 
 Jh-t heart w,. h .• " '''' '^'^^^^ '^«'""e, 
 
 Hoi),sil.uh Lee tokl her th.t v ""' 
 
 ''^^ -'^>^^ brin, the .^ 7 rTT" ''" ^^ 
 -ight oeeui.y her vaunted , "^'^^'^^'^-'^^ «he 
 
 ly 1(1 ^annte(l throne anv day? 
 
 Whatever harmens T o..> r " 
 
 "H^pt lis, 1 am safe now' «!.,. fi. ., 
 and no Driclvs nf n • thoucrl.t; 
 
 pncLs „1 conscience and no fear nf f] 
 •seciiiences it n,.„. ^ ^ t"^' ^'on- 
 
 1 ^-» .-^t piesent rose to mitigate her joy 
 
 , "^"' "'"™«"t M'-s Carhngfo,.., .os/' .., 
 came forward to her 'in,! } m , "'"'' 
 
 'i'loy entered the tent wI>,m 
 
 n-t f-I at all el.,„. t ' '"'"■""-"■'^ "^^ '^ "id 
 
 -ore in rea,li„os, f m "'" "' "'« '^•■"-' ™^" 
 
 M,-, Frern : '^ " ''"^"""*'" ""'' ^^^ F-- 
 ^Aitrt was conducfe( to fho fnr^f ^ ^i 
 
 ^'We.and then the „,„•,,„,„ ^ ", / ""''"■ 
 smu ' '"'"'■'■-skelter, took their 
 
 '""^'^'* mcrv comment, vvhich 
 
the monej', 
 movement. 
 3re aflaino, 
 ' Ji<ad not 
 'g that if 
 
 nenLs she 
 • ? 
 
 thoiicrlit; 
 ■ tJlc COU- 
 
 3. Nina 
 d with a 
 
 and Dr 
 
 Won't 
 
 IS hand- 
 
 th fniifc 
 t ifc did 
 lei- end 
 Freir 
 'incipai 
 k their 
 
 e, and 
 which 
 
 FEI'SIJJAII LEE. 255 
 
 set every on. Inughin^r. Then, as Ro.aleen said 
 afterwards, (be fcoding-tinie began. 
 
 ' I mn.st .support myself well,' ,she thought. ' I have 
 got a great deal to go through to-night. I am 
 determined I won't be vanquished. I feel as if the 
 blood of all my ancestors was crying out in me, 
 •'Conquer, Dark Rosaleen, whatever happen.s. Eve.i' 
 if your life is the stake, conquer. Dr.rk Rosaleen." ' 
 
 The cups of tea we.'e handed round; the junkrt, 
 the cakes, the fr.iit, the cream, the ditferent light 
 damties disappeared as if by magic. 
 
 'It is almost like a swarm of locusts,' thought Mrs 
 Frere to herself as she watched how the healthy 
 and ai.parently happy chiLlren deu.oli.shed their foo<l. 
 At last the board, which had been groaning with 
 damties, was almost cleared, and they all went out 
 into the big field. The time had come; the great 
 mo.nent had arrived. Innocent Dr Frere and eqtmlly 
 innocent Afrs Carlingford were to be the umpires- 
 and Mrs Frere sat close to l,er husband, and thouoht 
 how hnppy they all were, although she vaguely 
 wondered why Nina had that restless look in her 
 oy.-s, why her cheeks were a little too rosy, and 
 why Rosaleen kept darting about uttering imnatient 
 words and scarcely able to control what the anxious 
 mother considered undue excitement. 
 Dr Fivre .suddenly ro.se to his feet. 
 
 il 
 
w 
 
 A ' 
 
 256 
 
 W i 
 
 HEPSIBAH LEE, 
 
 to be u„,pu.e.s on this oc«.,io„. We do not know 
 w y our children have decided to have thil c„ J 
 
 P-t'on. ^»' -ythin, that rouses enthusiasm d 
 Mps one to lessons of self-cont.-ol is not to bo 
 fep.sed; and I f„.. one si.Il be exceedingly p,e.,od 
 to hea. „y great f.,end Nina Cariingford LL " 
 t.™ng words of Tenn,sens« Revenge; "and Is,!; 
 
 declann ..The One-Hoss 8hay... a poen, which, I 
 ;::^? -^^^ -^ '»«'' ^^ «ood de. when I wl 
 
 cned Kosaleen, suddenly rushing forward and .' 
 
 going baeli to her place. 
 
 ■Yes, I will recite the " Revenge " flr.,t,. said Nina 
 
 ■er .other, and then stepped forward, standing 
 m such a position that the umpires a„d the Odd! 
 . ..d the Evens could all hear her with absolute 
 
 "I ;i 
 
257 
 
 I' he said, 
 not know 
 this coin- 
 liasm and 
 »ot to be 
 y pleased 
 'ecite the 
 d I sliall 
 daughter 
 ch, I re- 
 1 I was 
 
 , fatl 
 nd i' 
 
 ler, 
 
 >a 
 
 id Nina, 
 nent at 
 tanding 
 e Odds 
 ihsolute 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 A STOIUIY HEART. 
 
 iHE very breeze seemed to drop into 
 stillness as Xina stepped to the front. 
 She glanced to right of her, to left 
 of her, and then began the stately 
 and magnificent poem. At first her voice was a 
 trifle tremulous, but soon it gained in power. She 
 had an expressive voice; there was feeling behind 
 -that suppressed feeling which tells more than 
 anything else. As she had said, she meant to show 
 the picture; she meant all those present to see the 
 gallant fight between the One and the Fifty-Three. 
 By the time she came to +,he words: 
 
 •We have fougl.t sucli a fight for a day and a night 
 As !uay never be fouglit again ! 
 We have won great glory, my men ! 
 
 And a day less or more 
 
 At sea or ashore, 
 We die— does it matter when? 
 
 nner : sink lipr oiOif 1, 
 
 Sink 
 
 Fall into the liaada of God, not into the h 
 
 The Odds and the Evens. 
 
 split lier in twain ! 
 lands of Spain' 
 
 !:! 
 
ii ; 
 
 258 
 
 A STOKMV FIKAUT 
 
 -l-y Hi. tin.o Nina l„vl .■,.,,oat..l ,|,..so .,.||,„,t 
 words of the great Sir Kid.u,! r,r,,„ville the 
 eluIJron, even Rosaleen, l,ad forgct.n l„nv mud, 
 l'«"g upon the poem. Tl,„y were witi, Sir Riel,„rd 
 m h,3 last most gallant flglit ; and even llosaleen 
 Mt tl,e moisture rise to her eye,, when Nina 
 dropping her voice, said slowly : 
 
 Z'i lit'",'"",,'" "f" "«■""• """ '" •"■'"° »■"■""•■■ '"-; 
 
 When she came to the words: 
 
 •And ,1,0 iiitlc. A.„„,. ,,e«,f ,„„i ,,„„„ ^ ,^^ 
 
 Tu be lost tveimoic iii ll,e niiuii '- * ' 
 
 there was a dead silence, followed, when recollection 
 came to the startled and excited children. l,v a 
 burst of rapturous applause. No one applauded 
 ™re vigorously at this u,„n,eut than the Dark 
 Rcsaleen herself Enthusiasn, was a great part of 
 hor little character; and she was rai.sed now to 
 such a pitch of excitement that she cadd almost 
 have rushed to Nina, have clasped her round the 
 neclc, and said, 'Forgive me, forgive n,e, I will 
 even hend my proud knee to one who can ,my sud, 
 lovely things.' 
 
 But, alas for Rosaleen ! she did not yield to this 
 impulse. She caugl.t A.uy's eye watching her. It 
 
■*« •,')ill.'int 
 iville, the 
 ow much 
 I' Richard 
 Rosaleen 
 en Nina, 
 
 •1' blow ; 
 
 » tliu foa' 
 
 '^ SToltMv \lK.\ni\ 
 
 259 
 
 uiul 
 
 crags, 
 
 ollection 
 J, hy a 
 plauded 
 3 Dark 
 part of 
 low to 
 
 •'Umost 
 tid the 
 
 I will 
 y such 
 
 o this 
 n: It 
 
 itcsaleen-was nearly yielding ? 
 
 'Never; thought the Dark Rosale.n-. „ever - I 
 am a .Sn- Richard Gronville in , 
 *K 1, "'iiiMiio in my way- whatevnr 
 
 the odch agatot „„, I will never yield ' 
 
 'It .3 now yom. turn, Rosaleen,' said her f..t„cr 
 h1"™^ and repea. ■.,. Wonderi., o:.' 
 
 e«"Cdt„::!'t::::ir'-r-" 
 
 npr,-^ : \ dainty, somewhat ini- 
 
 penon. style, and, clasping her hands before he 
 
 II ran n Imii.lri-,] ,,.,„,, t„ „ ,|,,^, " 
 Ami th..,,, .,, ,, „„u,,,, i._ •;,, , ,^^_^ _ 
 
 I II lell ,y„„ w|,„t |,„p,,e„„| „.ii,,„„j ^^ J' 
 hearing iln. p„,.s,,,„ i,,,,, ||,^^ 
 Frigl,lc.„i„j,. |,e„plc „„( „, ,'|,^.,^ ^^..|^__ 
 Have you lieani „f n,,,,, i 5,,^,,, ' 
 
 Rosaleens ■! say w».,.hnost irresistible. There 
 - a toss of the ,„a„e of black hair, a twinUi ; 
 l.ght c„,„o ,„t„ the dark, dark eyes and the st„rv 
 
 proceeded It is too long to relate here; b„t 
 -- --^ taror uf excitement, and the chanc. 
 
 H\ \ 
 
 m 
 
 !■■ I 
 
260 
 
 A STOHMV HEART. 
 
 ' ii 
 
 wliich had .seemed decidedly in Nina's favour now 
 veered round towards Rosaleen. 
 The mother could not Jielp wlnsperin. to herself • 
 'Why, the child is an actress by nature. I never 
 knew she could do it.' 
 
 There were shouts and clappings of hands, in 
 which Nina just as generously joined as Rosaleen 
 had done a few moments back when her recitation 
 came to an emJ. 
 
 A little pause followed; the umpires were quite 
 silent, not even glancing one at the other The 
 one-mile race was marked out. Rosaleen started 
 as previously arranged, and Nina followed. How 
 lightly and gracefully Nina rar. ; not putting her- 
 self out in the very least, not losing her breath, not 
 hurrying, keeping all her strength for the last final 
 spurt ! As Rosaleen sped on there came a cheer 
 from the Evens, who, notwithstanding their desire 
 that the fight sliould end, could not but take an 
 interest in their own champion. Rosaleen, excited 
 by their shouts of delight and cries of ' Well done 
 Evens! well done, Evens!' was putting forth greater 
 and greater strength, when, all of a sudden, her foot 
 tripped against the hidden trunk of a tree which 
 was half-buried in the grass. She fell. Nina ran 
 past her, but paused to allow her to rise. She was 
 up again in a second, rushing on; but she never 
 
 m 
 
ivour now 
 
 o herself: 
 I never 
 
 hands, in 
 
 Rosaloen 
 
 recitfition 
 
 ere quite 
 ^^r. The 
 started 
 1- How 
 ing her- 
 iath, not 
 ast final 
 a cheer 
 f desire 
 take an 
 
 excited 
 II done, 
 greater 
 ler foot 
 
 which 
 na ran 
 he was 
 
 never 
 
 A STOIIMY HEART. g- 
 
 recovered her pacu nn,? v 
 
 of »ev„ral y^ ' "" ^""^ ™» - -'>• victcy 
 The Odds and Hu. ?,- 
 
 ^ ' ^"^" tlioy went un in fi 
 
 now „,,a,tlv tT . ""' """• "™" Ro-'-n, 
 
 ftuastiy pale, raised her Uffln 
 
 others. Peach .„.] J , """' ^^'^^^^ ^ho 
 
 i tach suddenly went „p to her. 
 
 Why, you re going to faint.' she said 'V ,. 
 hurt yo,n.self^have you not?' '" '^^'^ 
 
 ' It is only ,ny knee,' replied Rosaleen ' Don't f , 
 "^e, please; it will be all nVht in • '"'^^^"^'^ 
 
 ^^he turned round and sudd tCr"'^-' "''^'" 
 Peach's neck. ' Oh .- I believeVsT^/^; ^^ -nd 
 
 me sit down.' ^'''"*^' J"«t ^et 
 
 Peach dropped on the grass anri P , 
 against her. ' ^ Rosaleen leant 
 
 'It's nothing, it •« nothing.' she said 
 I'each called to Fred « R, • 
 
 cried. 'We <!on't 7" . ^^ '"""' ^^'"^^''•' '^'^^ 
 covered her equanimity. ""^ ''''- 
 
 It 
 
! ! 
 
 202 
 
 A STOIOIV un.MlT. 
 
 Nin,-i, mIh, was Htun.lin- .snrrouii.led by her vic- 
 ioiioiLs siil)j,.cts, now can...' t'oruard. 
 
 'Mother/ sho said, 'we are so much ohll^.ed to 
 you, and we are s„ ^r.utly obh;,...! to you. Dr Fre,-e- 
 ;;"•' "" -'^' ^"-i^ I'''l.l.i.r Ihan I do at tl.i.s n.on.ent' 
 <"• .-t M-vai <K.tl Inn.o. on this : u.id-and-oh ! now 
 I Uno^yltls nil ri.ht; hnt will yon, dc.r n.other. 
 ••'"<l 1)»- l^V'.o and ^rrs l-V.-ro, leave us no-.v ? for wo 
 children have matters to arianire.' 
 
 Ah Nina spoke she b.^rt and kissed her 
 rnothur. 
 
 'It is as right as possil)lo, nuinnny,' she said «It 
 |s better than nVht; it is splendid. A ^reat deal 
 hung on my winnino-. Oh, I am so thankful!' 
 
 Mrs Carlingford looked at Nina almost in sur- 
 prise. For a nioment it had soen.ed, owin.r to 
 Rosaleen's ^aU, as if the race n.i.ht be a n^tral 
 one; but no. Nina had waited for a monu.nt to 
 allow her little adversary to ..t up. Nina had un- 
 doubtedly won by all the rules of war, with all the 
 honours of war. 
 
 The elder people now withdrew from the field 
 and the children found themselves face to face 
 
 ' Well ? ' cried Nina. She went up to Rosaleen, who 
 was standing very white and still, with her arm 
 round Peach's neck. 
 
 'That's right,' said Niiu. 'I am heartily glad 
 
y her vic- 
 
 ol)Iiiro(I to 
 
 Dr Freiu; 
 
 « Mionient, 
 —oil ! now 
 Li" iiiotlicr, 
 \' ? for wo 
 
 ssocl Jier 
 
 said. 'It 
 reat deal 
 'ul!' 
 
 ; in siir- 
 ^vin,!r to 
 t neutral 
 nient to 
 had un- 
 1 all the 
 
 ho field, 
 ice. 
 
 3en, who 
 ler arm 
 
 ly glad 
 
 A STOIIMY IIKAIIT. 
 
 203 
 
 wo are as we were before Tf ; n 
 
 proud nf fJw> ^ '"" over so 
 
 «.na J. ;:"t -r-^^: ' • "■- ^ 
 
 'H' you. 1 on V wish vvifli ..n i 
 
 could luivo l,.f V . , ' '">' ^"''^''t f 
 
 '" '•^^t you have ti.e victory; but (hat f 
 '"'^"ymtsons, was impossible' ^"^ that, i.r 
 
 ey^ tot? '^'"' '^''"'^ ''•' •••"'"'^"' ^^'>-'-"- Her 
 eyes looked quite bi-r and d....|- i , . 
 
 «till , ghastly pale. ^ '^""- -''"^i J- fuee wa.s 
 
 'Have you i„i,.t yourself?' 
 
 ^'It is nothing,' replied Rosaleen. 
 
 'But I am afraid she Ins p i 
 the matter? Dear littl V , ''''''' ^"^^^ ^^^ '- 
 'T)n >,' ■. r Rosaleen, sit down.' 
 
 JJont, said Rosaleen. 'This is nnf fi .• 
 thpi-o t^ u "°"^ ^"c time. Are 
 
 None, aa far aa I a,n concerned/ ,.o„He.l Ni„„. 
 
 nee. an. .J^; ^iX ™ ^^ -- 
 
 /' we are all glad—aren't we?' 
 •WeVe a„ g,„,_^^^^,^ wo r repeat„l - ■ 
 ^K 'I straine' --• — 
 
 ''«ice. She did not say any 
 
 more. 
 
 If i 
 
 ! M 
 

 i MH 
 
 204 
 
 A STORMY IIEAUT. 
 
 •I think I'll «o buck to th„ house; »ho said- •! 
 did give my kiieo a littlo knock.' 
 •Then Ml go with you, Rase,' cried Peach 
 ■No, thank yon. Peach, I would rather Amy 
 came. -^ 
 
 Tl,i« was the very last thing Amy desired. She 
 1""1 hoped, nideed, tluit the evening so full of im 
 portant issues would end in a really jolly time, when 
 the cluldren who had so long been in a state of 
 «tra,n might feel hap„y and at rest, and at home 
 w.th each other once more; but Rosalcen had an 
 ;."per.ous way, and there was a pathetic expression 
 m her dark eyes. There was nothing for it, there- 
 tore, but to say with a sigh : 
 
 • Very well, if you ready" wish it, Rose. I suppose 
 you will come back again?' 
 
 ■I don't think so; not to-night,' replied Rosaleen. 
 I acknowledge that 1 was beaten, and that you 
 did everything very well, Nina ' 
 
 said'^lr '''' ' " "" -'■• "-■' '-^^' '"< 
 
 •The fight is at an end,' repeated Rosaleen, still in 
 that half-vacant way, as if she did not mean what 
 she was saying. She left the field, limping a good 
 deal and leaning heavily on Amy. 
 
 Nina turned and looked at the others. 
 
 •I do wish something wouM make the poor little 
 
Jhe said; 'J 
 
 each. 
 
 athor Amy 
 
 )«ired. SIio 
 full of im- 
 time, when 
 a state of 
 i at home 
 m had an 
 expression 
 ' it, there- 
 
 I suppose 
 
 Rosaleen. 
 that you 
 
 get that/ 
 
 n, still in 
 3an what 
 : a good 
 
 )or little 
 
 A SlOIlilif HEART. 265 
 
 tl'in^' l«'4,py a;:ain;sho said. ' .Si,e is a v.v. ]«• u 
 
 child to understand; Iu,t look ll T ' ! '""'' 
 
 her in to^v t ' '"'''"* ^'' ^''^^ 
 
 yl> '"" ' '^•" ^•"•^-•" I ean .in h.r he.., 
 
 lutunce. 'Oh dear, how thankful I am t V.. . 
 
 Nina, were not able to foil , , ^ ' 
 
 whole thi„,-was , ll t 7 '": "' ■"" "'" 
 cos, sl,o ° 7 ''" "■'" ^^'-'l' ''""•over 
 
 c.o^ »l.o ™,.y |« for a day or two, tl.at sl,„ i» i„,t 
 
 notlung but an ordinary mt,„ ,,,, and „,„ „ f 
 K..OW ,or,,,aco. T.,„ Wt ,«..„ to b. .U, ,, 
 to-niglit 18 our practical Am.r. ^ 
 «'.ow off ,„ue,, befor l„v f " '" ""'' "'"'' 
 «o into hor„io„ for „n;„n:'''"^"'^ "■"'""-' 
 
 ^"vonoendofVr ,:;'T^ ' ^'™ 
 
 lh« next „,o,„e„t IVudonco and Ken were wali- 
 ng qu.etly „p ana j„,, and r 
 followed suit- and M„ .. . I'aticnco 
 and Poach-bro 1 ,:":: "'— «^'-". Fred, 
 they talked! Howl L:;""' "°" ■»^-"'^- 
 
 "- -.-hey .rr eSTS'o^: 
 
 exannnation which w.>nf „ 
 
 "icn went .so succes,sfully, the 
 
 Thi 
 
 \H 
 
, h f 
 
 266 
 
 A STORMY HEART. 
 
 I 
 
 S t "'"' "'°"^=' "■" "™' »<• of the 
 
 'P the hfe of happy, he.lthy cl,iid,.„,. |,„j t„ ^e 
 iliscussod without end. 
 
 It wa- kto when they got baek to the house 
 soon .sunk ,n happy d,e„,„, ^es. the great „reat 
 
 hr,;::;\:::;-'--«-^«t,-: 
 
 Eosaleen had gone quietly up to bed with Amy 
 
 » ,s Tit ^"'^""'^ p°"'- ™-<^^ ■"'- 
 
 and skilfully bandaged it 
 
 «:rn.^" '"'° ^^'^ ^"« -^' ■-- -'. 
 
 'I am not going to let „,y knee interfere with 
 mo. .ho remarked. 'I have a great deal to do. 
 
 sonlThat" ,"' "'T': ™' ^'"^- • ^''^ y- -f °"^ 
 
 souy tliat the great tight is over?' 
 
 sorr'vT'V """i "" '*""'^""- '*''>' •*-''' I he 
 «o.ry ? I meant to w-i„, but 1 failed. It was horrid 
 
 —n "f Nina to take adva„ta,e of my fa7 
 
 •But she didn't. Oh Rose! how can you, she 
 
 awfully difficult to got a fresh spurt up' 
 •How eould I run properly when I was shaken all 
 
A STORMY HEART. 
 
 end of the 
 
 ^Iiich make 
 
 Jiad to be 
 
 the Iiouse. 
 
 1, and were 
 
 :reat, great 
 
 But, alas! 
 
 ivith Amy. 
 nded knee 
 
 ou really 
 
 id stared 
 
 fere with 
 3 do.' 
 I awfully 
 
 uld I be 
 
 IS horrid 
 
 > 
 
 1 ? She 
 [ it was 
 
 ikon n.]] 
 
 267 
 
 to pieces/ cried l?o.s,il. en 'anrl'm., i, i 
 
 with the pain?' ^ ^'"^ '^'^ ^'^'^^y 
 
 'Oh, I know you're as ph.eky as anythin,.; but 
 reab^^-didwin. In any ease, she sli the 
 ^Wnge better than you said the .Qne-Hoss 
 
 •Don't let us talk about it,' saiu Rosaleen. '8he's 
 won, and she thinks the %ht is over' 
 
 'Of course it is over. It was arranged that 
 It was to be over-that this was to be the end ; 
 
 and she was awfully oenerons nnf +^ • 
 
 ,., . "^ otiiLions not to impose any 
 
 'No/ said Rosaleen, with a queer amile, a„,l „ 
 look o m,,e,,ief ffliing ,,ereyes. 'My eonditi,,,,., 
 would have made em sit up, I can tell you.' 
 
 'Well, I am glad the fl-ht is over' 
 
 Wieen turned and Hashed a fiery glanee at 
 
 'What a poor, small, pde sort ol^ thing y„u are" 
 
 «»«aid. ■r.ny.amed of having y„„f„,,,i,,, 
 
 Oo you think, -cos the %ht is over, that I •„, „„i,„! 
 
 to he friends with her? I hate her .lown deep i.^ 
 
 n,y heart; and she shall knou it-she shall know if 
 
 Here Rosaleen burst into stonny weeping^ Amy 
 
 «a., not greatly surprised, .She knew her si.te, ■ 
 
 she knew these fits of „,ad iu.petuosity. There w.as' 
 
 !,vi 
 
 J J 
 
268 
 
 Si' 
 
 A STORMY HEART. 
 
 notliing for it but to allow 
 
 tl 
 
 10 girl to have her 
 
 own way. 
 
 •I wouldn't go on crying if , ,,,,, , ^,,^ 
 "ftorapa„,,e. 'Yom- eye. will be so red wl,,,, y„n 
 
 think that youVe awfully put ouf 
 
 •I didn't think about „,y eye,,; they mustn't be 
 rod. rephed Rosaleen. -That would never do. Nina 
 ■■' ";' '° "'""^ ">'^' I care. I'll be as larky „. 
 P0-.b,e and as eheerful as possible, and I'll — 
 Hut I hate her all the same. I' 
 
 'Come, come; don't t^Ur ..«.. 
 „ . , , ™" "ly more nonsense ' 
 
 -clAmy. -nyoudol'llbegintodomyspellin: 
 Ihere s nothing keeps you so quiet as that.' 
 
 'Anything rather than that!' exclaimed the Dark 
 Eosaleen. She allowed Amy to undress her- she 
 was very fond of making Amy her sUve. Then 
 she .a,d her head on her piUow, shut her eyes and 
 p.'oeeu ed to be asleep Her quiet breathing quit 
 assured Amy on that point She herself \okd 
 regretfully and sadly out of the window. They I ad 
 .one away so early from the field. Wo„,d it not be 
 
 hi 'u "'''"'• '" '''" ^'"■^ ""d 'ell him 
 
 that now she could really be his half-twin; to walk 
 
 between F.ed and Peach and listen to their talk 
 JUS a. she used to do before the great fight began? 
 But no; already they were coming back from the 
 
A STORMY HEART. 
 
 269 
 
 lave lier 
 
 •she said 
 ]u'n you 
 By 'II all 
 
 stn't be 
 •■ Nina 
 irky as 
 ['11 
 
 nsense,' 
 pelling. 
 
 B Dark 
 r; slie 
 
 Then 
 2s, and 
 
 quite 
 looked 
 y had 
 lot be 
 II Iiiin 
 
 walk 
 • talk 
 ogan ? 
 n the 
 
 field; tliey wore all tired. Their voices Hoated up 
 to her through the open window- their happy 
 voices-Nina talking to Prudence; Malcolm, Ken- 
 neth, Patience, and the two younger ones following 
 in the rear. They entered the house and dispersed 
 to their several rooms. 
 
 Amy did not know whether she was glad or 
 sorry. She was tired. The day had been one of 
 great excitement. Rosaleen was soutid asleep; she 
 also would go to bed. Amy was the sort of proper 
 little girl who brushes her hair neatly every night, 
 who plaits it in a long pigtail, and lies down calm 
 and peaceful, having said her prayers, read her 
 little book of devotion, and done all that a good 
 little girl should. She looked sweet and peaceful 
 now in her sleep, and she slept right through the 
 night without waking She never knew, she never 
 guessed, that at cockcrow Rosaleen had opened her 
 eyes and glanced quickly round hur. Amy was 
 asleep— so far so good. How about her knee? It 
 felt stiff; it hurt a little even as she lay in bed. 
 She thought of the victory which so nearly had 
 been hers; she thought of the defeat which she had 
 really undergone; .she thought of the dreadful time 
 before her when she was to pretend to l)e mei-ry, 
 with rage in her heart— when she was to pretend to 
 love one wliom she hated. 
 
 !'j 
 
270 
 
 A STORMY HEART. 
 
 •For the fight i, not ova,,' thought the Dark R„». 
 
 cte to h ".'""' ""'"• ""'-"^""^ ^ — -y 
 
 came to her; .t wa. a queer and exciting n.mory 
 She herself last night-she. Rosaleen, the Da.k 
 Kosaleen the soul of honour, the soul of bravery- 
 had absolutely stolen a sovereign from her father. 
 It had dropped from his pocket, and she had slipped 
 .t .nto her own. Oh, how mean she really 1 , 
 She flushed cnmson. and then turned away aa the 
 nought of that sovereign weighed down u'pon h 
 a.h,ng heart At the moment she had felt nothing; 
 he wdd des„.e of possession had aei.ed her. and sll 
 
 had y.elded to the swift temptation with s^rce a 
 hough . Now her oou.e was clear and plain. A^ 
 
 and tell h,m what she had done. She could not- 
 Tin "T "' """" " ""''' ^"""■- ">»™ont. 
 ihat was the straw too much. 
 
 •I wouldn't even hate Ni„a if j „,, ^ j^.^j, 
 nought tbe child. 'How m,^ I ,„„,, Have b^^,n 
 n.g t, The very first thing I must do U to 
 return the sovereign to my own darling father.' 
 
ark Rosa- 
 
 a truce. 
 
 J I hate 
 
 271 
 
 ?ain and 
 
 memory 
 memory, 
 e Dark 
 'avery — 
 ' father. 
 
 slipped 
 ■■y was! 
 
 as the 
 »on her 
 othing ; 
 'lid she 
 iaree a 
 n. At 
 father, 
 
 not — 
 3ment, 
 
 thief; 
 
 been 
 
 is to 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE SPELLING LESSON. 
 
 OSALEEN was far too restless to sleep 
 any more. Presently she put her feet 
 out of bed and began slowly to dress 
 herself. Her knee was very stiff and 
 sore. She felt inclined for a monient to awaken 
 Amy, and ask her to bathe it and dress it over 
 again; but she refrained, not from any considera- 
 tion for her little sister, but becMuse, as she 
 said to herself, she would be no end of a botlier, 
 'questioning me ever so much as to why I was 
 getting up so early.' 
 
 Accordingly she managed to batiie her knee, put 
 on some fresh dressing, and tlion proceeded with l,(,r 
 toilet. The stiffness in her knee, howevei-. prevented 
 her being as light and quick in her movements as 
 she generally was ; ar)d as she was leaving tiie room 
 Amy turned in her sleep, opened her blue eyes, and 
 stared full at her. 
 
272 
 
 tti 
 
 
 r< '> ;; 
 
 ^ Ui i 
 
 'Why, what o'clock 
 'Is it breakfast-time 
 
 THE SPELLING LESSON. 
 
 is it?' cried the little mrl 
 
 'No, no,' answered Rosaleen- ' ^ t^ .] 
 But what arc you doing ?• ° 
 
 ' Nothing. Go to sleep.' 
 
 •But. pWKosaleen. what a..e you doing r 
 
 Imnotgo,ngtoteIlyo«whatIamdoin. V„„ 
 can see for yourself that I am up thari 7 
 feet, and that I'm .oin<- out Z T °" "^ 
 
 aweetaioep DonW^ l"' ''"°"'"- «'^-''^»- 
 
 Rosaleen slam„ed the door after her Amv f 
 " "'°'"»'- f^" inclined to follow her '^' 
 
 -What is .he up to now r she thought 'She i, 
 a very queer girl; she looked very ouet . , 
 
 spoke. Whv ^n^ ■ ^ ^ "''■™ «''" 
 
 ■^ "'V. good gracious^ if. „„j c ,, , 
 
 vflf iiri, i. "■' . It. s not hve o clock 
 
 But? ? *' "" ""'"« *' ">« •'O"'-?' 
 But Amy, lying back on her soft ,!„, 
 
 foil aaleep once more. She fori R r^'- " "'■ 
 of Oreams. and Ro.,aleen . 71 7 ™ '" '' '"' 
 way unchecked. While Z u °™ ""'"' 
 
 8B~i!n „f .K dres.smg she had thou.dit 
 
 agd.m of the sovereign, and of (!,„ . • 
 
 «f.e must make to h!r f"L Sh " "'"" 
 
 too proud a chiM 7 ™' " «'""* ''<»1 
 
 ...He squirmed ovit II^ ""^^"^ ^ " ^'' 
 
 toItlt'':;'::r''"„''"-^^''-^^««-™ 
 
 '- J '-■". t po.ss,bly tell him. Oh,g„o,| 
 
THE SPELLING LESSON, 
 thought ! I '11 slip into \m di 
 
 273 
 
 put 
 
 - Jrefesing-njom an 
 
 the soverei.,, Wk into l,f. wairteoat-pockot. Ho 
 will rover know then that he dropped it, and I 
 need not te,., for I Wt W„ a thief ; „, „„,; 
 .:.» have kept fatheV» sovereign for him for a 
 night— that's all.' 
 
 She went very slowly downstairs. It was difficlt 
 to do so wHhout n,aking a noise; for to l,op on 
 one l.>g-a„d Rcsaleen's n,ove„u,nts wore littio n.ore 
 than that j„st now-was not the most c„iet motion 
 n the world. Still, she managed to get to the 
 dross,„g-room door, and was j„st about to go in 
 when she heard a distinct noise of some one movinJ 
 aou w,tMn. Was her father „p , What induced 
 h.m to rise so early? How troublesome of him- 
 
 Eosaloen fled down the passage liko a guilty crea- 
 t».e. He would suspeet her; he would know the 
 very wo^t if he saw her lingering outside his door 
 a that hour. She flow downstairs. She know a 
 htt le wn>dow hy which she could got into the sweet 
 fresh morning air; she ojoned it .ottly, scrambled' 
 out, and stood trembling and panting on the gravel 
 sweep. W^ it p„3,iy„ j,,^, ,^^ j_^^,_^__ ^^^^^" ^^^^^ 
 
 so mconvoniently, inconsi.Ieratoly deternn-„od to get 
 up on that .pecial morning-was it possible that he 
 too would seek the outside air, would And her and 
 question her? 
 
 k« w 
 
 u 
 
 The Oiltia ami the Eveii.s. 
 
 I • 
 
 ^1 
 
i: 
 
 'II 
 
 274 
 
 THE SPEhUms LESSON. 
 
 Nothin^r of the .ort Dr F.vro i i . 
 
 «l.o felt, «onH.l,ow, as if «ho „„„.! T ! ""''* 
 
 ".-e to rceh it. and her iTnoeTaa ^ "' """^ 
 
 She wa» i„.t about to ,o in toT I ""V"'"'"'- 
 
 -d think what her next ^t ! n?" "" "'^'' 
 
 ---ni a voice oa« he/ , "; 7 ^ ^^"^" ■'"» 
 
 saw the brilliant face Z [ "^ "''' "^^ 
 
 PI ■■ , T " say. lauffnns eves of 
 
 J'lonbel Jones. Ve, ih„ n,. ,. '' 
 
 les, the Queen of the Ginsies tl, 
 
 po-n whose post .he, Ro.,aleen. .so .^^'Z^ 
 
 'ovely. She was dressed picturesouelv witl 
 
 coloured scarf twisted /„„d her „ 'k ' "T 
 
 che,„isctte below it and Z- " "'"'"* 
 
 >- throat, sle .Tin'T "' '""' "'"" 
 
 ooatu^e; and Rosale , 1 LdT ' i"™^ ""* 
 
 times .since her iir.,t inf ' '""" '°™™' 
 
 ■What are ''■ '"''"■■'""«<' ^-'W^nlV ^ 
 
 What are you so gay for, Floribel ? What is ,< 
 matter?' vvnat is the 
 
THE SI'KM.INO LKSSON. 275 
 
 •We arc Hll ...ins to the fair at Ath-rloy,' ,,.plic,l 
 Flonbo •IWty„„l<„ow? 'IWe i» t„ ,,„ „ „,,„^ 
 fa.r hel.l H,o,-«-ono of the f;,.c,Uc»t f,u,..s i„ ,l,o 
 "■'■"I" of En.i,.,„l. It i„ 1,.W f„, t|„„„ j,^y, „„^,. 
 ''.vo...- a„,l wear. s"i„„ „,„,,.. i,„„, ^^ 
 I-, and M,eh,,c.l .Sn,itl, an.l H.,.Uuy Pa,,,t-„o f.,,,,- 
 -o all to ,-„. Wo a,-,.. ,„i„,. i„ t,,e ^,t^ ,,„, ,,„. 
 cart ,s ever « .ay; a„.l I an, «„i„, t„ toll tortnaos 
 I jmt tl.ouyht „,ayl,o you 'd like to c.ano with ,„' 
 ■>..«»y I said „„ to Mother Hcpsihah last m.d,t' 
 •"Hi she told ,„o to run round and see if yon Jere' 
 anywhere in si.ht. I would have thrown gravel at 
 your window, n,issy; hut I wa. afraid of waking 
 the othoi- little mis-.' 
 ■Oh but are yon really going ?• said Rosalocn her 
 
 oyos flashing, her teeth showing in vivid s es, the 
 
 crnnson colour of excitement and J.ope filli„„ ,.„ 
 cheek.s. 
 
 ' Why, ye.,, of cour.se we are. I 'll earn a lot of 
 ...oney telling fortunes; and we take things to sell 
 -all kinds of beads, and things of that sort. We 
 have a very good tin.e at the fair; there's no end 
 of fnn tl>ere. There's the lady with the two heads 
 and the talking pig, and the piping bullfinches, and 
 -and, oh! no end of thing.,. There's the man with 
 f" snakes, toe ^^ ' 
 
 the 
 
 He 
 
 em with music, and 
 
 s quite wond-ful; he char 
 
 ms 
 
 you might taR 
 
 u one of them up 
 
276 
 
 THE SPELLFNa LESSON. 
 
 Nl 
 
 r I i 
 
 'I i i 
 
 iMh . 
 
 along with mo no«-,' " *""' "<'""' 
 
 '01.. Imt, FloriboJ, Floribul' cried .h„ .-,, 
 
 -vor, never give , no ioave ''''" '^'"- "->"vil, 
 
 ' ^""' yo" tako French leave ' „,i,l pi ■, , 
 ■What i.thatra*edKc»,:;; '""■""'• 
 'French leave, my dear? W„i| ;. . 
 a"i it's just off yo„ are a„d I , ™ '"'™ "' 
 
 «d, Why, when y'on cor aera,;:V" ,"'?"" ^ 
 can do is to rro fK. u " ' ^^'"^ ^^'»«<^ you 
 
 - b„t pir;::: c r "*"°"^- ^'"^^ 
 
 give you; ' "" "^ """''^ '% '11 for- 
 
 -eX:s::;:i;tto'°"^^T ^^-'- 
 
 on the other. " ™' '''e and then 
 
 I losr C'.'°""^ '-«' ■•■'gl't. I lost, Floribel- 
 mnt r? ^"""'' '"^ "^"S'" •"»* oyea 
 
«l<in't bito 
 missy ? ' 
 
 «ibah lias 
 can coiijo 
 
 Id, 'wJiat 
 thuy will 
 
 leave at 
 
 he fun; 
 
 ast you 
 
 They 
 
 '11 for- 
 
 3 stood 
 d then 
 
 went 
 )ribel; 
 
 ild. 
 
 she 
 }. I 
 
 are 
 
 ■'•"K SVKi.LlSU I.KSM.N. 
 
 L»77 
 
 to wear a crown «on,a ,Ihv u.w? <l 
 
 better.' ^' "' ' ^''"^ '^"^"er tl.e 
 
 ' Your crown, your crown FIorih,.J ? ' i • 
 eliiU ". iioubel? exeluimcd the 
 
 ' ^^^oll, dear, and wlien can you .nve us fho . . 
 . »"• -It J on come ai.d can ,rive us H.. 
 
 ^^n, Is it tniP ? ' T) 1 
 ■>Vr„ ,v„, tho 1' • ''™" f---'' ™""-ly cuW. 
 
 s™«o of ■.socond-.si„l,f could , ■ ''"'"' 
 
 ■I tell you what; Floribcl .said suddeuly .Mavh. 
 It s not worHi vr>„,. i -i "^^ -^"aybe 
 
 part of tlip f.>,-,. <. 1 , fe^ i-^ iJta !■ ijie j^ ^ 
 
 'en oelo C ;:t ""r "' -«"^ it begl„3 at 
 
 oomo and fetd. v„„ : .^ "™^ ''-^ -•' I'" 
 ^"" ^t nine: we'll riV^o 
 
 th^ donkey, and be there in „„ '" '"' 
 
 -only five „ilo. ,,.<,„„, „Vl\" f"'"'^^ 
 -0. the moor., that wi, be ",' . r" " °" ™' 
 t'nnk jou are sound asleep in bed cLl 
 "manage it, nnssy ? If you L' !i ^'^"^'^'^ * ^^^^ 
 you, why. vou Ln Z r '">^ ^^.^^ ---«- with 
 
 you> wJiy, you shall be Queen fo'r 
 
 «^d even if you don't bring the 
 
 tlie night at least 
 
 I '! 
 
 sovereign, you shall 
 
 I : I 
 i: • 
 
ITU 
 
 Till-; NI'KIJJN,, ,J.;.ss()N. 
 
 '-voHnVI.t Jolly th«e. There now. r don't want to 
 
 J^^'tyoni„toumos.s.an.ll,,,„stl.oott'n.ys..lf;hut 
 •Shu 1 I cnno hero at nine oelock thi.s ev, ,.1... and 
 will you he ready to go with nio ? ' 
 
 '^^j^' if only I couM, I .should like it beyond 
 wcrdH-beyond words,' Haid Kosaleon. 'I will try 
 
 ! "'"/;?•• Y-'^' — l^-k-won-t you, dei; 
 dear, ciurlnig Floribci ? ' 
 
 'To be sure T will, dear little n.issy. You're a 
 bonny little thin., and I would do n.ore than that 
 ioryou. NowIn.uHt,,, You '11 n.eet .ne in the 
 COI.C at nine oelock sharp? I 'II wait for vou till 
 ••^ <l"''-tor past: if you 're not there at a Quarter 
 pMst, why, I n.UHt oo without you ? ' 
 'And when shall I bo home apun ? ' 
 'Before now to-morrow .nornin,.. You can croon 
 ba.k to your bed. You'll n.ana.e it-won't you /' 
 X OS, I 11 „,ana^.c it somehow,' said Rosaleon ' I'll 
 matia^ro it somehow.' 
 
 •Then I .„,«t bo oft: Good-bye for the pre»enu' 
 .She ,l,.,appear„d ; und Eo.„Iee„, overconio witl> 
 «e.tome„t and a t..e„.bli„g, (earful delight, »,.k 
 -luwn . ., the dewy ,™». The da.„p g„,,s did uot 
 troubh. i. , ,:,e b,, fo, t„„ „,„^, ^^ ^^._^,^ ^^^^ 
 HOW «>,.„! „ ,<, „^„^g^ y..^ j^^^_ ^^.^ ^1^^^. ^^^ 
 
 w. d adv.,.u.. > How could .she manage it without 
 ■ 1^-tt.ng any one know? Oh! if only Amy waa out 
 
<4P^ 
 
 n't wimi to 
 iiys«'If; hut 
 •cniii^f, unci 
 
 it Ijoyond 
 f will ti-y, 
 you, (leur, 
 
 You 're a 
 tliun that 
 no in tlio 
 r 3()U till 
 a <juartor 
 
 3an creep 
 
 t you ? ' 
 en. 'I'll 
 
 present' 
 ne with 
 lit, sank 
 did not 
 k about, 
 ing, this 
 without 
 was out 
 
 THE SPKLr.INO LESSON, 270 
 
 of Uu. ,v«,, a co.,,,n,„ „o ca,ny , W, f,,, ,,, _, 
 
 «- tl,„ ,„.e.t difficulty. wi lid , , ' 
 
 got rid „f |,„ , ^ '"" "=""''' '^" d""" •" 
 
 ^-I'-ign, tliu Hoverci,.,rn should nr.f 1 n i 
 at present Ol. f "^'''''" ^'^»' 
 
 I -"t. OJi, to wear a crown for one ni.^ht - 
 to he a queen for one niol.f • p . , ^''*^ ' 
 
 - --M ...poet 1 ::;."":,"'■""■""• ^■" 
 
 -- .oHd, ^t :;';::::"',;■'::;-■"'■ 
 ^rr""', :'■"" '•" "" "- ^™''''' ^-- w . 
 
 -n. SI e „o„I,, „„t ,„ ,^ - 
 
 oeni|r a thief. " ^'^' "^ 
 
 She crept back to the house. 
 •For twenty-four hours lon-^er I will I. ., 
 -o-v/.she sai.I to hc.self J \ 'u ^'^' " 
 
 father's waistcoat-pocket t i '"' ^' '''''' 
 
 --e up ea.y\r.:— X'- ^ 
 
 very wron, .f M. to ,et up Ihis : r 
 he Iiadn'fc, the sovereign would ' • ■ • 
 but, 
 
 rJ 
 
 as he did get up, he 
 
 in his pocket 
 
 now 
 
 must do without it f 
 
 or 
 
280 
 
 THi<: ,si'i.;llix(} lesson. 
 
 miother twenty-four Lours. Oh no! I won't give it 
 to the gipsies; but I'll keep it in n.y pocket It 
 cant do any harm in my pocket.' 
 
 She slipped her hand into the pocket of her red 
 <ire,ss and touched the gold with her finger and 
 thumb. She took it out for a moment and glanced 
 at It, looking fearfully round as she did so; then she 
 «hppod it back acrain. 
 
 •It doe., make me feel bad,' she said to h.r>sdt. 
 
 lerhaps I'd best not have it i„ ,„y p„eket, Oh. 
 
 I 11 hnry it under this tree, and then I can take it 
 
 up again to-niglit wiien Floribel comes. Yes, I'll 
 
 do that; it would be best.' 
 
 Rosaleen made a little hole with a small stick 
 and pushed the sovereign in, and then went back to 
 the house. She slipped up to her room. An.y was 
 ■ now dressing. Rosaleen came slowly in. 
 
 •Well,' said Amy. 'you do look excited. What's 
 the matter with you ? ' 
 
 -My kneo hurts me rather,' replied Rosaleen; 'but 
 I have had a jolly tin,o out. I'm quite glad ou the 
 whole that Nina has won the victory, and that the 
 hght .s at an end. I like going out in the mornin,- 
 and I like feeling that I can talk to all the children' 
 the Odds and the Evens alike, for the rest of the 
 day. I'm turning good, I 'spect, Amy. What do 
 you think?' 
 
out givii it 
 pocket. It 
 
 of lior red 
 iiugiiv and 
 nd glanced 
 •; then she 
 
 to Iiurself. 
 
 'Cket. Oil, 
 
 an take it 
 
 Yes, I'll 
 
 nail stick, 
 t back to 
 Amy was 
 
 What 's 
 
 sen; 'but 
 'd on the 
 that the 
 nlorninlL,^ 
 children, 
 it of the 
 Wh&t do 
 
 THE SPELLING LESSON. 281 
 
 .m „ ° glance of relief. 
 
 ™e, I I try and be p,e,«a„Mo ever,.4 to 1 . 
 
 T?« 1- 1 , . '^pi'iinifr and set me a task m 
 
 English history. I reallv rlnn'f • i , 
 
 vnn'ii ^ , "^ "^ "'^"^ ^^Jiat I do if 
 
 you 11 do something for me.' 
 
 'Oh, what is that? I was afrnJrl fi. 
 thing in the background' -d 1" n "" """ 
 
 ing suspicious. ^"^' ^^"'^'^"^^ ^^-- 
 
 'I will tell you after breakfast. You shall f..nh 
 
 'Thank you,' said Amy . ' Vnn o 
 XI , -^'"j- lou are a rrood rh^^A 
 
 on the w,o,e; and you won. be cro. and l! 
 
 able to N,na when we go downstair,, . > ^ 
 
 ■Oh dear. no. dear, no. Til be quite fond of her ' 
 But are you , that yc, Ve hone.st. Rosaleen r 
 
 buHeTunder te t^ 1:7'""^" "^ "°™-'- 
 turned white. ■ m! 1. '1"'^ ""^"V"'">- /- 
 
 asked 
 
 ' Only last night you said 
 
 you hated Nina. How 
 
^82 
 
 >.Ml 
 
 fl' 
 
 ! i 
 
 I J I 
 i"1 :ll 
 
 THE SPEFjJNG LESSOj?. 
 
 "an you got, „„ t,,o h..te „„t of your heart 
 
 nicrlit ? ' 
 
 m one 
 
 -I don't know; replied Rcaleen. -Pcrl.ap, j d„ 
 
 : ;^""''r^'■''''^'^'"«°^"»"'°''^•k'■> 
 'Ye,, quite womlerfully good/ ™d Amy. ■ There's 
 the broalcfast gong; let's go down- 
 
 aitoi wards Amy took Eosaleen aside 
 
 >""! really do your sp..,|i„„. i 3,,„„,,, ^^,. 
 yo" to get a n,ove next tern, Roaaleen; and it 
 would please mother so nnu-h. You don't Lt 
 - anions I an. to help y„„, t„ fc a eort of g«,d 
 I'ttle sister to you-you really don't ' 
 
 th» ™^''' '.'""" '""™"^ ^-^"^ I "<"0W better 
 th^n J on can „„ag,ne,' replied Rosaleen. -It is iust 
 because yon want to he suel, a preeions good si er 
 to n>e hat I don't like you a bit. At leL-oT 
 ...ean of course, I like you. Now then, let 's be^in 
 :': \'° ■""« "^ "anting round a thing. U^ 
 
 aekk,t let's .stamp it out and get it do;. NoJ 
 for your long, long, dreadful word.,' 
 
 Amy settled herself i„ ,vhat she considered the 
 ^.Cher's attitude. She put on what Kosaleen J 
 ner considering cap.' 
 
THE SPELLING LESSON. 
 
 eart in one 
 
 I'lmps I do 
 be kind to 
 me— won't 
 
 • 'There's 
 
 nmediately 
 
 ^aid; 'and 
 l«I so like 
 t ; and it 
 n't know 
 "t of good 
 
 ow better 
 It is just 
 5od sister 
 3t— oh ! I 
 's beo^in ; 
 •• Let 's 
 e. Now 
 
 3red the 
 sn called 
 
 283 
 
 'Don't bo too difficult just at iirst.' said Rosaleen 
 glancnig at her a little uneasily. 
 
 'Well, then; said Amy, <I'll begin with quite an 
 easy word. Spell "scram l.lingly."' 
 
 Rosaleen made several valiint efforts to overcome 
 the difficulties of ' scram blii.oly.' 
 
 'It's a very funny word; it's rather like me.' she 
 cned. 'I'n, always scrambling for things; and- 
 there now, I 've spelt that. What else ? ' 
 ^ 'I suppo.se,' said Amy, looking pathetically at her 
 sister, -you wouldn't care to learn quite an out-of- 
 the-way uncommon word ? It 's verv nice to kuow 
 those sort of words, because you can pose as beiu. 
 quite learned. People will think what a lot vou 
 know. Do let me teach you one. I can.e across 
 a beauty yesterday— " scorzonera." ' 
 
 ' What on earth is it ?' asked Rosaleen. 
 'It's a plant,' replied Amy in a voice of withering 
 scorn. -It is carrot-shaped, and it is an edible root''' 
 'And what's an edible root?' a.sked Rosaleen. 
 'Oh! you are too ignorant for anything. An eat- 
 able root. Don't you know what to eat is^' 
 
 'Rather,' replied Rosaleen. < Oh Amy ! pl.ase don't 
 tell me any more. Do just have common words 
 such as' ' 
 
 But here Rosaleen stopped in sheer despair, for 
 Amy. knowing quite well that her little sister was 
 
 k\ 
 
if; n 
 
 f i ) 
 
 284 
 
 THE SPELLING LESSON. 
 
 the 
 
 sec :jr r"^ '^°- '- -"™ '"« 
 
 lie most ot hor opportunity. So Rr.,» 
 leen was d.«ed with ,ud, word, as 'V l i 
 
 '^ophytologica,,. fe. A,„j. i„t , Id „ f ""' 
 to.«l.or; she worked RosnlcC c,„ t H ^ " " "'"'" 
 
 ward., and forwar.Ia ovo , „ "i ' '"'""? '^"*- 
 
 fi. II • . ^ fJinicnlt words on^i 
 
 fi-ally HKszsted on the h'ttle <nrl writin. V'"^ 
 
 four or five times. ^ ^^'"" ^"^" 
 
 Jel7'!! "'T '"" '^ '"^""^ -'-^ *'-- words 
 mean, she exclaimed. 'You'll h. , i 
 
 when yon are .bJo f . "'^'^ ^^"''"^^ 
 
 know vhV '"'^ *' ^^'"^'■^^^^' "^^ ^-«t I 
 
 ^""^ ^^^^at a scorzonera means" Tf -n 
 
 feel important; it will .ir' ^ T:/^" 
 You're awf,,!!.. .• ^ """'^ °^ ^^''^^t. 
 
 ^o It seems/ said Rosaleen. ' But nmv ,u i 
 is over -isn't it ? T l , ^^"^ ^^''^" 
 
 haven't I r ^^^e spelt them all rights 
 
 ' You have. Now. suppose we do a UtH. i • . 
 a little hh nf ^u . "^'^ "o a nttJe history, 
 
 d„„ t ,-n , '"'^" °' "^"'"^ Efeabcth. Yo„ 
 
 and i ' r: ■'"'*'^' ''°" ""•" '-' ''"».' '-tor; 
 
 'Not a bit of it,' cried Rosaleen 'The f,' • 
 
 Un and T • "'ctn. ^g time is 
 
 "P> and I am gom. to have a bit of fun now 
 It s your turn now.' ^^• 
 
 'My turn for what?' 
 
^vlicn the 
 tetermined 
 So Rosa- 
 inkeeisin,' 
 
 a severe 
 ing back- 
 >i'(ls, and 
 2in down 
 
 36 words 
 5 learned 
 
 least I 
 ike yen 
 
 ballast. 
 
 3 lesson 
 right — 
 
 listory, 
 . You 
 listory, 
 ut too 
 
 me is 
 now. 
 
 THE SPELLING LESSON. 
 
 285 
 
 ' Your turn to do what you are to do-what you 
 promised to do if I learned those horrid, horrid 
 words of yours.' 
 
 ' Very well. I pappose I must know what it is.' 
 
 ' But you must promise to do it.' 
 
 ' If you really want me to.' 
 
 ' Well, I tell you what it is. Will you go and 
 sleep with Peach to-night ? You are very fond of 
 Peach, and there are two beds in Iier room. Will 
 you go to Peach ? You can make love to her, be 
 most affectionate ; say you want to tell her a lot of 
 stories, and ask her to let you sleep with her 
 to-night.' 
 
 'But why-why? Why mayn't I sleep in mv 
 own bed ? ' 
 
 - 'Because I want to go to bed specially early, and 
 
 not to be disturbed with you or your .spelling or 
 
 your plaiting of your hair, or yonr good little ways. 
 
 I want to go to bed early, and to have the room to 
 
 myself, to lock the door.' 
 
 'But mother hates the door locked,' replied Amy 
 'Mother need not know anything about it. I 
 
 want to have the room to my own lone self. You 
 
 go to Peach.' 
 
 'I don't believe I can do that,' replied Amy. 'The 
 room is just as much mine as yours ; and why should 
 I bother poor Peach sleeping with her?' 
 
i? f 
 
 i i ii. , 
 
 'I, 
 
 'if, 
 
 
 i 
 
 1 
 
 I'll 
 
 
 h 
 
 ( 
 
 
 L 
 
 1 • 
 
 
 m 
 
 'If you don't 
 ' Well, what ? • 
 
 TFTK SPELLIXG LRssoN. 
 — said llosaleen. 
 
 Rosaleen turned and fixed her bold black eyes on 
 her sister, 
 
 'I have got; she replied slowly, 'the most terrible 
 awful story that I will tell y..u just when you're 
 'Iroppin. off- to sleep. It's a story of eyes, and a 
 big. open mouth with great teeth. It's a story that 
 moves close to you, and makes you shiver, and you 
 
 hear chains clattering, and you hear' 
 
 ' Oh. don't > ' cried Amy. ' You know I am nervous 
 at night when those sort of stories are told.' 
 
 •It will be a dark night to-night,' said Rosaleen 
 'A lovely night to tell the story; and I'll tell it to 
 you if you sleep in my room to-night. You '11 hear 
 about that thing with the eyes and the awful mouth 
 and glittering teeth, and the chains. Do you under- 
 stand ? Now, will you sleep in the room with me 
 to-night ?' 
 
 'I— I would much rather not,' answered poor Amy. 
 ' Oh Rosaleen ! you can be (juif,e terrible when you 
 please.' 
 
 'I'll be sweet to you if you'll leave me this one 
 night,' said Rosaleen, 'and I won't tell you any horrid 
 .story; only you must go to Peach and arrange it 
 with her. and everything must be done most private 
 Peach must not tell that you 're sleeping in the room 
 
THE SPELLTNO LESSON. 
 
 287 
 
 with her, an. I you must not tell that you are not 
 sleeping in the i-ooni with me; an.l if— if you do 
 this one tiling for me I '11 love you so, and I 'H do 
 more spelling to-morrow, and more spelling the next 
 day, and I '11 not hate Nina, nor nothing. Oh, do- 
 do what I ask you, dnrlino' Amy!' 
 
 ' Well, to be sure,' sfiid Amy, ' it would be rather 
 fun sleeping with her; but Peach is not to tell that 
 I am sleeping with her?' 
 
 ' No ; you glide up to her when she is in bed ; that 's 
 all. I '11 come up as usual at eight o'clock to-night ; 
 and you 're not to say anything, but just arrange it 
 all with Peach. You two will have a jolly time.' 
 
 'We have a great deal to talk over, it is true,' 
 said Amy. 'I will try an<l manage it somehow.' 
 
t 
 
 288 
 
 •^w 
 
 ''ii 
 
 ' {> I i 
 
 H. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 QUEEN OF THE FAIR, 
 
 'imm the day Rosaleen was quiet. 
 She was quite amiable and agreeable 
 to tlio rest of the children. Fred sat 
 witb b.r for a long time in the after- 
 noon, and she told him some of her most spirited 
 tales. She avoided, liowever, the story with the 
 oyes, the open mouth, and the teeth. That she 
 exidently reserved for a special occasion 
 
 Towards the evening the pain in her knee caused 
 '-•to look really pale, and Mrs Frere ordered her 
 to bed. 
 
 'You had better go up immediately after supper' 
 slie said. ^^ ' 
 
 Now, supper wa. .-.t half-past seven, and it was 
 qu.to easy for Rosaleen to slip „p to her room by 
 Jht o clock. The room where the two little girls 
 »l-pt was quite apart fro,„ the rest of the house 
 
QUEEN OF THE I'AIH. 
 
 289 
 
 They had to go down a rather long and narrow 
 passage to it. It was just in the entrance to 
 the old tower; a pear-tree ran up against the 
 window, and it was easy, more than easy, for an 
 agile child like Rosaleen to scramble down by the 
 pear-tree and drop on to the ground. She did not 
 remember, however, tliat she had a wounded knee, 
 and could not bo as agile in her movements as usual. 
 When slie reached her room she saw Amy there. 
 ' Oh ! ' she cried. 
 
 'Oh! it's nothing,' said Amy. 'I am going away 
 immediately. There, there! don't begin about the 
 eyes and tlie mouth. I have spoken to Peach. I 
 am going downstairs now; and when I bid mother 
 good-night she'll think I am going back to you as 
 usual, but I am going to Peach. Peach was delighted 
 when I told her I must sleep with her, and she has 
 promised not to tell any one. Don't, please, begin 
 that story. Oh! you are leading me into being a 
 wicked girl ; but I cannot stand the stories you tell 
 when you are in your present humour.' 
 
 'Kiss me before you go,' said Rosaleen. She went 
 straight up to her little sister, put her soft arms 
 round her neck, and kissed her. 
 
 'To-morrow I'll do my spelling,' slio said in a 
 low, tremulous, excited whisper ; ' and you are a very 
 good girl, Am61ie, and I do love you.' 
 
 The Odds and tlie Evens. o 
 
 ^ 1 
 
QHEKN OK Tirio p^f^ 
 It w,us .so ,,.,,. fur lio™l,.,.„ to ,.y „„,,,„ „f „,.^ 
 
 ™rt that A,„y lV.Jt l„.r wl,„le a/K.,i„„ato heart .o 
 out to her. ^ 
 
 ;l l>opo 30,, are not up to any ,„i,schielV she 
 
 'I? VVhut n.iHchi.f could I do/ See how lin.p 
 1 am. * 
 
 k„i!r "" "'"'" '"'" ''"" ™"' ■"" "> "-- y"-' 
 
 -No, no; only to go. If you May another „,„n,ont 
 the n,a„ I ,.,„ g^j..^ j„ ^^„ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^.^^ ^^^^^^^ ,^ 
 
 at tho wnulow. Ho i» black, and hi., eve., are ' 
 
 ■DonX I'mottr.sai,lAn,y, andrau'ctof the 
 ■•O"".. W.e hu,l not ,-ono ,„any „te,,., ,lown tho 
 pa«,ge before Ro,„lcen locked the door. No fe.r 
 ot any one now con.ing to interrupt her. Her father 
 a...l mother had both .one ,« vi,it a „ei,hlK,ur. 
 M- irero ,vo„ld not be at l,on,e till between 
 eleven and twelve o'clock, and by then she would 
 be c|u,te sure that both her little daughter, were 
 happy and secure in the land of dreams. There 
 waa no one el.,e to con,e. Every one thought Ko.,a- 
 een t.red, and was glad that she had gone ea.lv 
 to bed. 
 
 Far indeed, however, was sleep fro.n those wide- 
 jn eyes. Rosaleen sat on the edge of her bed 
 She would not even light her candle. She liked to 
 
QUEEX OK TMK FAIIl. 
 
 291 
 
 f«'el th.-.t the ,•(„„„ WHS dark: si,,, ^rloried in (Iwj 
 House of niystoty tl.ut sunoundcl Ikt. J.on^, heluro 
 nit.o o'clock it wus really rlark-.iuite dark. So 
 '"uch tl.o hotter for Rosnlfcn's purpose. 8he unit.,! 
 »'Mtd she heard the duck iu the stahle-yard strike 
 "^»(-,aud thcu went sot tly towards the open window. 
 With her wotuuled knee she had ditliculty in lettinj: 
 l.orself down by the pear-tree; hut beincj possessed". 
 as she was now, hy a ^n-eat impulse, she was more' 
 or less indiderent to pain, and mana<rod to suppress 
 H little sharp cry of a^rony as she finally dropped 
 on the oround. Tl,e next n.oment .she was steadily 
 pursuinu- Jut way in the direetam of the copse. Sh., 
 reached it before Florihel .nude her appearance, hut 
 ha<l only time to secure her .soverei^m and droj. it 
 ir.to her pocket before the swisli of petticoats a^rainst 
 the thick under^n-owth was heard in the distance. 
 The next moment Florihel came up. 
 
 'Ah : there you are, lit.le missy,' .she said. 
 Rose could scarcely see her in the (!arkenin<r ni^rht. 
 She held out her luuid, however, which the oipsy 
 ^'rasped. The gipsy had a very firm hand, and also 
 a very soft one. It clo.sed round Rosaleen's with a 
 rare sense of comfort. The child clun.L,. to her, and 
 felt her whole heart going out to her. 
 
 •How beautiful you are, and how I love you!' she 
 exclaimed. 
 
: : I 
 
 ill i 
 
 
 
 292 
 
 iiVKKS OF TiiR ^.^j,^ 
 
 'And I l„v„ y,.„, li.tio ,lnrli,«/ „„i,l the .in„v 
 ^■•t tell ,„e. dear, Jiavo you crot the 
 
 KoHaleon hesitated. Yes it wn« • i 
 l...vn„rl I w , '" '**^'^" pocket, 
 
 lH.yond douhtj hut she did not want it fn l 
 
 P- rt WU], .t. J'o-,„o„w ,„o,.nin« it should «„ l„.ck 
 
 ..-»ed.tata„yot;itw,..,t..„„,„th,.thohad:u 
 
 r"""= """"^ ''• ^"^ -'- "» '"-'0 "P his aecon, ' 
 he was certain to i„ako a fuss • and 1i i 
 
 ■t. ^be safe Ue. in his pocUet before that,..™!:; 
 
 not to spend.' '■ '^'°"''''' ^ ^ut 
 
 Ploribel suddenly struck a „,atcb, with the aid of 
 which she ht a little lantern, 
 
 •WI?''.!''""/™'™"'"""^' -W *>.o child. 
 
 VVliy .«e j-ou domg that, Florihel ; We shall 1« 
 
 soon; s„„,e one will notice us.' ^ 
 
 ■If they do uotice they will only think it's ,„e 
 
 to see No one comes to this cop.se at this hour 
 Now look „e in the face; you have got money a„d 
 you liaven't ? ' "^uuey, and 
 
the 
 
 s»p«y 
 
 got tlie 
 
 1- pocket, 
 to leave 
 J»ive the 
 t, not to 
 go back 
 Iiad not 
 hiul Haid 
 accounts 
 wanted 
 moment 
 
 ive you 
 el; but 
 
 aid of 
 
 cliild. 
 mil be 
 
 's me, 
 
 e here 
 
 liour. 
 
 y, and 
 
 QUEEN OF Tin: FAFR. 203 
 
 'I Imvo ^rot some n.oney, l.ut I d .mI want to 
 sptnd It; answered the child. 
 
 'M'<yhe it's a Hoverei^rn.' said Florihel 
 
 ''•^'-•ibol. how clever you are! How can you 
 guess? '' 
 
 •Oh, I can see into your pocket/ nnsw.^ed th. 
 g'P^y. 'It 8 lyin.. in your pocket this mon.ent-a 
 gold soverei^rn. Let's try if I an. ri.d.f 
 
 Before Rosaleen could prevent her ,^.e had slipped 
 J'-- -d into the little girl's pocket and had drawn 
 out tlio golden sovereicrn. 
 
 'Give it l,„ek to ,„e;plea.o; .said Ro^locn. making 
 a snatch at it. ^ 
 
 ■ny so. ,.y lovel If yo„ let mo havo this J.,,,, 
 W.11 bo Quoon to-night Oh. what a timo you will 
 havo ! Why shouldn't you let n,o take tho sovoroi^n 
 andyouboQueon? You know you said that ri»: 
 moment you got a sovereign you would give it to 
 me, and I would lot you be Queen. You shall be 
 
 Queen for this whole night, and-and But 
 
 come dearie, I'll keep the sovereign, at any rate 
 for the present. It is safer in my pocket than 
 in yours. If you change your mind before we got 
 to Athe^ley I will lot you have it back again.' 
 
 ■ Vety well. I suppo.se you must keep it,' said Roso ■ 
 but some of the intense joy and excitement had gone 
 out of her voice. 'Lot's be quick now, FloribeV 
 
 I 
 
294 
 
 QUKKN OF THE FAIR. 
 
 she continued. ' I have gonu tlu-ough a great deal 
 to come here. I have told a lot of half-lies, and 
 perhaps some of them are whole lies; and I want 
 the nioht to be very lon,<r, a„d my pleasure to eke 
 out for as many hours as possible. So come, Floribel, 
 come.' 
 
 'I am quite ready to start,' said Floribel. 'I 
 have got the donkey at the other side of the 
 hedge, and we'll ride over.' 
 ' Oh, what fun ! ' exclaimed Rosaleen. 
 She took the gii.sy's hand, who le.l her quickly 
 through the wood. The gipsy had now put out 
 the lantern, and they walked in total darkness. 
 * Aren't you afraid ? ' said Rosaleen. 
 'Afraid, dear? I know every step of the way. 
 I could walk all over this land blindfol-l, and never 
 get into a rabbit hole, and never injure myself. Ah ! 
 here 's the hedge. I '11 jump over and lift you.' 
 'Oh, my knee, my knee!' cried Rosaleen. 
 'Your knee, poor little missy! I remembered that, 
 and I asked Hepsibah Lee to give me a salve for it.' 
 I'll dress it for you before we go a step farth-r. It 
 won't hurt you any more when I put the nice 
 dressing on it, and it will be all but well in the 
 morning.' 
 
 As Floribel spoke she once more lit the lantern, 
 md put it down beside her ; and, desiring Rosaleen 
 
jreafc deal 
 f-lies, and 
 d I want 
 I'e to oke 
 . Floribe], 
 
 'ibcl. ' I 
 i of the 
 
 ' quickly 
 put out 
 
 tU'SS. 
 
 ;he way. 
 id never 
 ilf. Ah! 
 ou.' 
 
 •ed that, 
 e for it. 
 'lior. It 
 ihe nice 
 in the 
 
 lantern, 
 losalccn 
 
 QUEEN OF THE FAIR. 
 
 295 
 
 to seat herself just be.side the hedge, proceeded to 
 dress her knee with some wonderful cooling stuff 
 which took the ache and pain and stiffness out of it 
 before many minutes had gone by. 
 
 'How wonderful you are, and how I love you'' 
 said the child. 'You are quite sure, Floribel, you 
 have my sovereign safe.' 
 
 'It's in the little bag I wear round my neck and 
 no one can get it from me without taking my life 
 first; replied the Gipsy Queen, striking a tragic 
 attitude. 'Now then, here's Jehoshaphat; we'll .et 
 on him and be off.' ^ 
 
 'Is that the name of your donkey?' asked 
 Rosaleen. 
 
 'Yes; he's a very good donkey, and very strong. 
 He '11 take us across the moors into Atherley in less 
 time than you can count. I '11 jump up first, and 
 you must sit behind and put your two arms round 
 my waist. Here, you cannot mount, with your 
 .stiff knee; but if you'll give me your hand I'll 
 help you up.' 
 
 The gipsy mounted first, swung her lantern in 
 front of her (which, however, she took good care to 
 put out), and then, holding out her hand to the 
 child, made her place her sound foot on the gipsy's 
 own, and then spring on to the donkey's back. With 
 her arms round Floribel's waist there then followed 
 
296 
 
 QUEEN OP THE FAIR. 
 
 i , 
 
 three-quarter., of an hour of ™i„„kd „i,ery and 
 rapture to the excited Rosaleen. Over hill and dale 
 
 ". , ' ^""^"y SO. up hilis that appeared to the 
 excited child like waik Ov„,. .1, i, i 
 
 ™"'- "™' the broken ground of 
 
 the moor did he trot, and never missed hia footing 
 an. never paused until the twinkling lights of the' 
 little town of Atherley appeared in view. 
 
 It was a small town, and very quiet as a rule- 
 but on the occasion of the annual fair it seemed to' 
 lose Itself almost as much as people do in a foreign 
 carnival. All the inhabitants seemed to be awake 
 »..d out in the .streets; and when the gipsy woman, 
 with the dark-looking child clinging on to her 
 waist, appeared riding the donkey, several should 
 rose up : 
 
 ■ The Gipsy Queen ! the Gip.,y Queen t • 
 In the midst of it all Floribel suddenly pulled 
 Jelmshaphat np almast on his haunches. She tumeC 
 and addressed a lot of men, boys, and women who 
 were following them. 
 
 'I am not the Gipsy Queen/ she said. 'It is this 
 little girl; she is the Queen of the Gipsies. Take 
 off your hat. Rosaleen. and bow to the gentry' 
 
 Not knowing what she did, Rosaleen pulled her 
 itte red cap off her head and gave a half-saucy, 
 I.alf-d,gn,fied bow. Every one legan to cheer her 
 •Little darling! Didn't know the Queen of the 
 
misery and 
 11 and dale 
 red to the 
 ground of 
 lis footing, 
 lits of the 
 
 IS a rule; 
 seemed to 
 a foreign 
 be awake 
 y woman, 
 I to her 
 al shouts 
 
 y pulled 
 le turne<^l 
 nen who 
 
 t is this 
 1. Take 
 
 ry-' 
 
 lied her 
 If -saucy, 
 3r her. 
 of the 
 
 QUEEN (X- THE FAIR. 
 
 297 
 
 Gipsies was so young. What a little beauty she is - 
 
 Can you tell fortunes, little missy?' 
 
 'Say yes,' whisp.'red Floriln-l in the cliiM's ear 
 'Yes,' answered Ilosalcen, wondorin;. m„ch w'l,,,t 
 
 was coming next. 'Oh Florihel, do you n.ean it ^ ' 
 
 she said. 
 
 'Mean it, little love? Of course I mean it; and 
 I have got the most lovely dress for you that ever 
 was. You won't know yourself in half-an-honr's 
 tnne. But come, we are late as it is, and the people 
 will be impatient. The fair is at its height. Come, 
 we have not a moment to lose.' 
 
 They rode up now in the direction of the gipsies' 
 encampment, where Hepsil>ah Lee came and lifted 
 llosaleen with great tenderness off the donkey 
 'Ah! I thought little missy wouldn't fail us,' she 
 
 .^aid. 'Has she given yon' He.e she bent and 
 
 whispered a word in Flo.ibel's ear. Floribel gave 
 an emphatic nod. 
 
 ' But I have not, if you mean the sovereign,' cried 
 Rosaleen, in some terror. 
 
 •Oh. it's all right, love -it's all right,' said 
 Hepsibah. 'You're Queen of the GipsLvs now-our 
 httle queen, our sovereign lady, God bless hei- ! ' 
 
 It was all most intoxicating; it was delicious 
 beyond words. Rosaleen forgot the sovereign, for-ot 
 her home, forgot everything but the wild deii.-ht'of 
 
 . ! I 
 
298 
 
 QUEEN OF THE FAIR. 
 
 ■.i-N-i 
 
 the moment. Holding Hepsibah'.s hand, slie entered 
 
 the tent. It was lit by a Ha.ing toreli in one corner. 
 
 There were one or two nien present, but at a nod 
 
 from Mother Hepsibah they letired; and then the 
 
 most wonderful span-led robe, worked with many 
 
 coloured beads, was put on Rosalecn, and a white 
 
 chemisette worn slightly low encircled her pretty 
 
 neck, and beads of every sort surrounded her throat, 
 
 and a crown was put on her head— a tinsel crown;' 
 
 hnt, oh, liow real, how brilliant it seemed to the 
 
 hiippy child ! 
 
 'Now you are our Queen, and you shall come and 
 sit on the throne in the very middle of the fair,' 
 said Mother Hepsibah. 
 
 She took the child's hand. There was a wild 
 shout of welcome from two or three gipsy men. 
 Some gipsy children ruslied up to Rosaleen and 
 touched her hand, then fell on one knee to do her 
 honour. She was led to her throne, and Hepsibah 
 and Floribel stood on each side of her. 
 
 ' Why, Floribel, you 're not half as gaily dressed as 
 usual,' said the new little Queen. 
 
 'I have handed my crown to you, dear.' said 
 Floribel. 'I am your Prime-Minister. You'll just 
 do what I tell you.' 
 
 • But, oh, Floribel ! ' exclaimed Rosaleen, in s me 
 wonder, 'am I really-really to tell fortunes?' 
 
e entered 
 le corner, 
 at n nod 
 tlien the 
 th many 
 a wliito 
 !r pretty 
 jr throat, 
 1 crown ; 
 i to the 
 
 ome and 
 :he fair,' 
 
 1 a wild 
 •sy men. 
 een and 
 3 do her 
 iepsihah 
 
 'essed as 
 
 ar,' said 
 I'll just 
 
 in 3 me 
 
 I?' 
 
 Now 
 
 • yvu arc our Qu.ci.. aiui you ,si.;,il a,m, .,..1 sit .... tlio tlnone in the 
 very iiiiiidle of the fair.' p^^j. o.js 
 
5 
 
 ! I ' 
 
 i^.;.. 
 
QUEEN OF THE FAIR. 
 
 299 
 
 'I'll teach you how, dear. I'll whisper the words 
 behind you, and you'll just repeat them. Ah! I 
 hear the people coniinir. Now then.' 
 
 Pretty Floribel suddenly raised her voice. 
 'Good people all— both men and women, youi.o^ 
 and old, great and small— the Queen of the Gipsies 
 who has ascended her throne to-night, is waiting to 
 tell your fortunes. She has great power, and^^can 
 look into the future; and she will tell you all things 
 belonging to the past; she will look right down into 
 your hearts, and tell you whether you are to be 
 great and prbsperous or poor and miserable. But 
 you must each cross her palm with sixpence before 
 a fortune is told to any one. Now then, be (,uick, 
 be quick; the Queen is waiting. First come, first 
 served.' 
 
 A whole lot of siliy-Iooking boys and girls rushed 
 to the front at this moment. 
 
 'I cannot tell all their fortunes; and I don't know 
 what to say,' cried Rosaleen, very much excited, but 
 slightly alarmed. 
 
 'Tell them any good thing you can think of, love. 
 Don't mention the bad things,' whispered Floribel. 
 
 'First come, first served,' she shouted; 'and only 
 one at a time.' 
 
 A dark, dismal-looking lad of about two-and- 
 twenty came forward. 
 
 I 
 
tl 
 
 300 
 
 QUEEN OF THE FAIR. 
 
 'Drop on one knee, and cross our Gipsy Queen's 
 palm with sixpence,' said Floribel. 
 
 Tliis the n.an did. Floribel looked at his palm for 
 a second, then she began whispering certain words 
 nito Kosaleen's ear. 
 
 Rosaleen was snu.rt enono.h qt.ickly to learn her 
 lesson. She was soon repeating the gibberisii told 
 iier by the gipsy to one person after another At a 
 certain time they would meet with misfortune; on a 
 certain moon they would find n.oney; marriage. Ion. 
 hfe and prosperity were to come to each and all 
 01 them. 
 
 . '^r'*''" "^^P' ™ '^"<i"g; the people kept on press- 
 ing forward; the sixpences dropped one after another 
 into the little tray be»ide the child. At last she 
 turned cold and almost faint, Th„ excitement was 
 begmning to tell on her; the want of sleep made her 
 eyes so heavy that she could scarcely keep them open. 
 Oh ! I am tired,' she said suddenly • Floribel 
 must I go on saying any more?' 
 
 'No; yon have been just the bravest little Queen 
 m all the world,' replied Floribel. 'Mother, take her 
 mto the tent and put her to sleep. I'll tell the rest 
 ot the fortunes.' 
 
 She had scarcely said the words before Mother 
 Hepsibah raised Rosaleen in her arms, carried her 
 into the tent, and put her down to lie 
 
 on a 
 
 rug. 
 
y Queen's 
 
 palm for 
 i-in words 
 
 learn lier 
 risli told 
 -T. At a 
 Qe; on a 
 age, long 
 and all 
 
 3n press- 
 another 
 last she 
 ent was 
 ade her 
 m open. 
 F'loribel, 
 
 ' Queen 
 ike her 
 he rest 
 
 Mother 
 ed her 
 
 •ug. 
 
 QUEEN OF THE FAIR. 
 
 801 
 
 'But I have not seen tlio lady with the two 
 
 heads, nor the pig that speaks; and I have not 
 
 listened to the piping bullHnches, and I have not 
 
 seen the wonderful, wonderful snakes,' cried the 
 child. 
 
 'You must sleep, little missy. If you like we'll 
 bring you here to-morrow night, and you shall see 
 all the other wonders of the fair. Now drink this, 
 and sleep,' said Hepsibah. 
 
 She held a cup of strong soup to the child's lips, 
 and the next moment the little girl was in the land 
 of dreams. 
 
 She was awakened after what seemed like a 
 minute by the voice of Floribel in her ears. 
 
 'The day is breaking, dear, and we must ride 
 home if you don't want to be discovere.l. Jehosha- 
 phat is all ready. Come.' 
 
 'Oh dear! oh dear! Whore am I?' said Kosa- 
 leen. She looked round her with a sort of tenor. 
 Then she remetubered all that had passed. Her 
 heart felt like lead now; the wild excitement of 
 the previous night was at an end. Before she fell 
 asleep Mother Hepsibah had removed the gipsy 
 dress, and the child was once more in her own 
 things. 
 
 'Come, come, be quick,' said Floribel. 'I want to 
 take you home. You have no time to lose.' 
 
302 
 
 QUEExV OF THE FAIR. 
 
 
 I 
 
 She he ped Rosaleen to .nount, and the next 
 -.nent they .e.e ndin, out of the town 
 
 But n.y .ovx..i.„; ,Hed Rosaleen suddenly, 
 ^our sovereign, dear child? What dn 
 mean?' "'^ ^'" yo" 
 
 'Won't you ^.ive it back to me now? You said 
 
 you wMkeep a until the fair was over- 
 
 And how can I give it you hack when you 
 Jiad n)y throne Jast night? That w. ^ 
 
 for O). -^^'^^^ ^'»« »'y payment 
 
 lor Oh, never mind, little missy ' a^ K. i 
 
 began to cry. 'There ih , ^^' ^^^'^^'^'en 
 
 .^ «^ ^ ^ y. Iheie, there-what is it, love, wlmt 
 
 ' But it was a stolen sovereign,' said Ros< 'een ' It 
 was St len from my own, own father, oreont 
 dont, don't let - be a thief, Floribel I Do ' 
 give It back tome! Oh Floribel T 
 able!' ^ioubel, I am so miser- 
 
 ' There, love, there! I'll thinl- oi ^ .. 
 
 other time nn i '^^"""^ '^- ^ome 
 
 oiner tnne, perhaps; not now-not now T l 
 
 not got it, deary.' ""• ^ ^'^^^ 
 
 Rosaleen sobbed on hopelesslv Af. 
 Floribel changed her ton. "^^ '" ""^ *^"^^ 
 
 'Come,' she said, 'none of this Von r.n- 7 4^ 
 
 niffbf n T , ^°^ "^^® been this 
 
 nignt. Come, I don't w^ant tn h. u ^ 
 
 ^ant to be hard; perhaps I'll 
 
 
QUEEN OP THE FAIR. 
 
 808 
 
 talk to Mother Hepsibah, and perhaps she'll let you 
 have it back; but I'm not sure. Anyhow, I have 
 not got it with me. Oh! and here we are. Now, 
 jump off Jehoshaphat, and I'll take you back to 
 the copse.* 
 
 Slowly, silently, painfully, Ro.saleen crossed the 
 
 lawn that moniing, and with great difliculty mounted 
 
 the pear-tree and entered her own chamber. She 
 
 had lived through the wildest, most exciting night 
 
 of all her life. Surely no night could ever come 
 
 up to this again. But she was done up; she was 
 
 wretched. She managed to unlock her door, to 
 
 remove her damp and untidy clothes, and to get 
 
 into her little night-dress. She lay down in her bed, 
 
 and sleep soon visited her, for she was utterly 
 
 weary; but, alas! alas! she carried with her into 
 
 the land of dreams the knowledge that she was a 
 
 thief. 
 
 She, Rosaleon — iho Dark Rosaleen — had stooped 
 to this! The sovereign was gone for ever and 
 ever. 
 
W\A 
 
 y.; . 
 
 §O0k HI. 
 
 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 HALF-A-CROWN. 
 
 |HE fight -the great fight -wa. to all 
 appearance o^ ^r; the council of war 
 was at an end; the rules drawn up 
 to guide the Odds and the Evens 
 
 during the sad time when they were not ! 
 
 to K« ^ , . ^ ^^ "^* supposed 
 
 hatchet which was no lon-^er needed P • 
 
 mi , ., , «= neeaed. Peace reigned 
 
 ■I he children were hinnTr ^ '^'gnea, 
 
 except Rosaleen. ''' "" "'°''~'''^ "' »" 
 
 an?„d-Tr''';;'J°"" "™" '°"''''^» '-<> =»- to 
 .7 »d. the children had gone back to their respec- 
 tive schools. The,v ha-, returned once .ore to th X 
 
HALF-A-CROWN. 
 
 305 
 
 war 
 
 town hfo ; and Ni.iu ha.l gone back to the Metro- 
 polis, to her hard and yet plea.sant ta-sks, and to the 
 society of her aunt, Mrs Clialloner. 
 
 Rosaleen and An.y had also retu.ned to school ; and 
 as Rosaleen. with all her faults, wns a child with 
 some Ideas of lumour, she had duri,,^. the ren.ainder 
 of the holidays taken pains with l.er spelling, and 
 in consequence was moved into a hicrher class. Amy 
 waa immensely proud of her pupil, and encouraged 
 her by every means in her power. 
 
 'i^ou are really quite inqnuving,' she said. 'You 
 are not half as wild a« ym used to be.' 
 
 'No, I am not; my spirit is broken,' replied 
 Rosaleen. But she gave no reason for these strancre 
 words; and Amy looked at her with a queer sexZ, 
 which she could not quite account for, of growing 
 fear, for Rosaleen M^as sadly, sadly changed. Amy 
 could not understand it. In public the little girl .still 
 managed to keep up her brave spirit; but in private, 
 and in particular in Amy's presence, she sighed 
 deeper, fidgeted a good deal, but no longer laughed 
 or shouted, or made daring schemes of naughtiness. 
 She was attentive with regard to her spelling 
 although she loathed it, and avoided the society Tf 
 her father and mother. 
 
 Two or three days after her gipsy adventure Dr 
 Frere mentione.l casually at breakfast: 
 
 The Odas and the Evens. m 
 
306 
 
 HALF-A-CROWN. 
 
 By the way, children, if „„y of you aee a 
 eovemgn Iy,„g about, ,,ray bring it to me. I „„st 
 have dropped it out of my pocket. I cam,ot find it 
 anywhere. I know I had a sovereign in my waist- 
 at-pocket on the night of your feast, but since 
 tiien I cannot find it.' 
 
 'I will go and search in the field immediately after 
 breakfast,' said Patience.-. Eosaleen. what are you 
 
 For Eosaleen had bent forward, knocking her head 
 Boverely against Patience's elbow. She said that she 
 ;ad dropped her pocket-handkerchief, and wanted to 
 hnd .t. She stayed for quite a quarter of a minute 
 under the table, and when she reappeared her ro.sy 
 i«*e was pale. But no one specially observed her 
 no one for a moment suspected her of the theft ' 
 The children -Rosaleen with the others -had 
 ■searched well i„ the hay-field; Eosaleen, with an 
 aehmg heart, knowing how empty a„d vain that 
 search would be. The sovereign was not found; 
 and Dr Frere concluded that some one -a gipsy 
 perhaps, he said-had picked it up. 
 
 -Iwish there were not so many gipsies round 
 here, remarked Mrs Frere to her husband; -they are 
 quite a worry. Some hens were stolen from the 
 larm the other night.' 
 
 'I saw a gipsy-I am certain it was a gipsy/ said 
 
HALF-A-CROWN. 
 
 307 
 
 >u see a 
 I must 
 ot find it 
 ly waist- 
 3ut since 
 
 ;ely after 
 are you 
 
 ler head 
 that she 
 inted to 
 minute 
 ler rosy 
 ed her; 
 left. 
 
 J — had 
 nth an 
 n that 
 found ; 
 
 gipsy, 
 
 round 
 ey are 
 u the 
 
 Vsaid 
 
 Malcolm-' in tlie copse the other night ; she had a 
 lantern. Oh Rosaleen, what is the matter ? Have I 
 hurt you ? ' 
 
 ' You knocked my knee ; you 're very awkward/ 
 cried Rosaleen. 'My knee is still sore.' 
 
 Again no one observed. It was quite natural 
 that Rosaleen should show emotion when her bad 
 knee was knocked; it was also natural that she 
 should stop to pick up her handkerchief when it 
 fell. 
 
 The holidays were at an end, and the families 
 went back to town ; and now the Christmas holidays 
 were looming in sight. The winter had been very 
 mild up to the present ; but just towards the middle 
 of December the weather took a change, and cold 
 winds became prevalent. These were followed by a 
 dead calm, severe frosts at night, and then by a fall 
 of snow. 
 
 'Typical winter weather,' Mrs Carlingford had said; 
 and she made preparations accordingly—the sort of 
 preparations which children love. There were to be 
 good times during the holidays; there were to be 
 dances amongst their friends, and Christmas-trees, 
 and all kinds of fun. 
 
 'It's delicious-isn't it?' said Amy to Rosaleen. 
 'We are going to have a fancy ball. Mother has 
 decided it. She says she will hire the Town Hall 
 
308 
 
 HALF-A-CROWN. 
 
 for the purpose. Mother and Mrs Carlingford are 
 going to do it between them, and we are allowed 
 to ask every single child we like-every single one 
 -to our dear, darling fancy ball. What dress will 
 you wear, Rosaleen?' 
 
 'I'll dress as a gipsy/ answered Rosaleen, the hVht 
 coming back into her eyes and the colour to her 
 cheeks. 
 
 ' A gipsy ! 'cried Amy, clapping her hands, ■ What 
 a magnificent gipsy you'll make! Wi,y, you look 
 like one already.' 
 
 •I expect I am-a little bit,' said Rosaleen, and then 
 she changed the subject. -Don't let us talk about if 
 she said; 'it's a week to the Christmas holiday^ 
 yet. what about that spelling?' 
 
 ■! declare you 're quite a delightrul girl,' exclaimed 
 Amy -You'll get a prize_I know you will-when 
 we break up, I have been writing to Nina about 
 you, and she is ever so pleaded.' 
 
 ■What do you want to write to her about me fore- 
 said Rosaleen, frowning and standing still 
 ^Because I like her,' aaswered Amy. -Don't you, 
 
 '1 hate her!' said Rosaleen. 
 -You-hato-Nina?' Amy made a little pause 
 between each word, -Are you ,nad?' she cried 
 No, I am not mad. I am quite as aane as you- 
 
hat,f-a-(;k()wn. 
 
 300 
 
 ^ford are 
 3 allowed 
 ingle one 
 Iress will 
 
 the light 
 i" to her 
 
 'What 
 ou look 
 
 md then 
 ibout it,' 
 holidays 
 
 rclaimed 
 ( — when 
 a about 
 
 le for?' 
 i't you, 
 
 pause 
 id. 
 
 3 you; 
 
 but I hate her all the same. But fur her I'd bo 
 the happiest girl in the worl.J instead of the-the 
 — tiie ' 
 
 'Rose— Rose, what is it?' said Amy. 
 
 ' Oh ! the most— most wj-etclied ; ' and Rosalecn fell 
 forward on her knees, pressed her face on her hands, 
 leant her hands on the table, and sobbed as if her 
 heart would bi\ ,,k. 
 
 She Mvr .: the midst of these iong-.lrawn sobs, 
 this fountain of tears, when the door was opened, 
 and Fred Carlingford came in. He was very friendly 
 indeed now with the two little sisters. He called 
 himself their half-twin, and they laughingly allowed 
 him to keep the name. He was rushing in, full 
 of importance. He had an item of intelligence for 
 Amy, something about a party to go skating on the 
 ice, which was ali-eady firm enough to hold ; but at 
 the sight of Rosaleen's tears he stopped short, and 
 his face grew pale. 
 ' What is it ? ' he said. 
 
 Amy was about to tell him to leave the room, but 
 suddenly she changed her mind. 
 
 'Just go and put your arms round her nock and 
 comfort her,' said Amy. 'There is something the 
 matter— I can't quite tell what— but she's not her- 
 self. You tell her she 's the dearest little girl in all 
 the world. Whisper it in one ear, and I'll whisper 
 
810 
 
 HALF- A -Clio WN. 
 
 lUIII 
 
 llll 
 
 J I: 
 
 it in the other. Rose ! R„,se !-ol,, Rose ! ^^■hy are 
 you so wretched ? ' 
 
 'I can't never tell you: don't ask mo.' said R„sa- 
 ]een. 'Don't touch me, Fred. I don't like it; you 
 belong to Nina.' 
 
 ' But what has that to do with it ? ' asked Fred ; for 
 irx the excitement of their present life-in the great 
 zeal with which he was trying to win a prize at 
 school-he had ahnost forgotten the quarrel of a 
 few months back. ' What has that to do with it ? ' 
 he repeated. 
 
 ' Oh, everytl)ing I—everything ! ' 
 
 ' Why should my belonging to dear, darling, pretty 
 Nina do me any harm ? ' 
 
 •Only because I hate her,' sai-l Rosaleen. She 
 turned suddenly upon the two. < You are an Odd ' 
 she said. poir,ting to Fred, 'and you are an Even' 
 she continu..], glancing at Amy; 'an<l there was 
 a hght-a gre..,t fight-between the Odds and the 
 Evens, .nd the Odds won. Through an accident to 
 me, who was general of the Evens, the Odds won ■ 
 and they thought they had patched up a peace, and 
 hat everything w^as all ri,],t; but I teH you that 
 there isn't «ny peace, and I tell you I hate the Odds 
 -yes, I hate them all-and I hate Nina the worst 
 of every one of them.' 
 
 'But yon don't hate me?' asked Fred. 
 
y>'hy are 
 
 lid Rosa- 
 
 HALF-A -CROWN. 
 
 811 
 
 it: 
 
 you 
 
 Fred ; for 
 the great 
 prize at 
 rel of a 
 vith it ? ' 
 
 g> pretty 
 
 n. She 
 m Odd,' 
 n Even,' 
 ere was 
 and the 
 ident to 
 is won ; 
 ice, and 
 ou that 
 ie Odds 
 i worst 
 
 'Oh, you're a «ort that's only a betwixt; I neither 
 Jove vou nor hate you. I don't mind saying things 
 before you, that 's all ; but if you think, Amy, and 
 if you think, Fred, that the battle is over, why, 
 you're mistook— you 're mistook.' 
 
 Fred was so startled that his first wish was 
 to leave the room; but Amy motioned to him 
 to stay. Amy beckoned him over towards the 
 window. 
 
 ' She 's very queer lately, is the Dark Rosaleen,' she 
 remarked. ' I don't understand he.-. No one notices 
 it much; but she 's been queer ever since that funny 
 sort of peace we made when we were in the country. 
 Perhaps it was her knee that hurt her; but she's 
 not the same. She is nicer in some wnys, and in 
 some ways she is nastier. I can't make it out. 
 Mother doesn't notice anything; but mother isn't 
 with her much. I am, and I do notice there is a 
 great change.' 
 
 'Unless you stop whispering I'll leave the room,' 
 said Rosaleen. 
 
 The children turned to look at her. 
 
 'Or,' she added, suddenly changing her mind, 'you 
 may go on whispe.ing as much as you like. It has 
 stopped snowing, and I am going out' 
 
 ' Shall I come with you ? ' asked Fred. 
 
 'No, thank you— nor you either. Amy; so don't 
 
312 
 
 IIALF-A-CHOWN. 
 
 r, f I! 
 
 jj 
 
 offer. I'll tell awful stories to-niglit if 3011 bother 
 me. I want to 00 alone.' 
 
 ' But mother does not let you go into the streets 
 alone ; you know that,' said Amy. 
 
 'Well, isn't there the garden, cross-patch?' and 
 Ilosaleen made a face, and the next moment left 
 the room. She ran to the room that she share<l 
 with her little sister, put on her warm fur capo 
 and little red cap, and went downstairs. She went 
 into the garden. The garden was covered with snov. 
 She had goloshes, however, on her fe* ,, and did not 
 mind the snow at all. There was a watery sun in 
 the .sky, and heavy clouds were coming up towards 
 the north, prophetic of more snow. 
 
 ' I hope it will snow deep, deep/ thought Hosaleen 
 'I could almost wLsli that I might be lost in the 
 snow; it would be jolly, that it would. It would 
 make an excitement, and perliaps I'd be i)l ; and 
 when I was very ill— much too ill for them to 
 punish me— I might have strength enough to tell 
 father what I did. I wouldn't have strength enough 
 to do it while I am well and strong ; but I might if 
 I were ill— if I thought I was going to die; but 
 as it is I cannot. Oh, what a wicked, wicked \voman 
 Floribel, the Queen of the Gipsies, is ! And yet she is 
 not as wicked and dreadful as Nina. But for Nina 
 I'd never, never have got into all these scrapes.' 
 
HALF-A-CROWN. 
 
 313 
 
 u bother 
 
 e streets 
 
 h?' and 
 lent left 
 3 sliarod 
 ur cape 
 he went 
 th snow. 
 
 did not 
 ' sun in 
 
 towards 
 
 iosfdeen. 
 
 ■ in the 
 
 b would 
 
 ill ; and 
 
 /hem to 
 
 to tell 
 
 enough 
 
 night if 
 
 ie ; but 
 
 woman 
 
 }t she is 
 
 3r Nina 
 
 pes.' 
 
 Rosaleen wandered on down tlie long garden and 
 towards the other end, where there was a stile; 
 she went and leant ovca- it. She was standing so, 
 looking forlornly across the snowy landscape, her 
 big black eyes smarting from their recent fit of 
 tears, when she saw a woman approaching her across 
 the snow. The woman wore a red cloak with a hood 
 drawn over her head. She had a dancing, free sort 
 of walk, and she looked far handsomer than an 
 ordinary woman. 
 
 Suddenly the <;hild gave a sharp cry. 
 ' Floribel ! ' she exclaimed. 
 
 The woman came straight up to Rosaleen, and 
 took both her hands. 
 
 'You'll catch cold standing out here on such a 
 bitter evening,' said Floribel. 
 
 'Oh, I don't mind at all. I thought perhaps you'd 
 come. I 've been waiting for 3 ou here every evening 
 at this hour for over a week, and you never came; 
 but I am glad you have come at last. Have you 
 brought me back the sovereign ? ' 
 
 'No, dear child; but it's very likely I may be 
 
 able to bring it back to you to-morrow.' 
 
 'Oh, you have said that so often.' 
 
 'Well, my dear— well, my dear, we can but do 
 
 our best. It has been hard tinus with us gipsies: 
 
 but if I could get a little bit of money to go on 
 
314 
 
 HALF-A-CUOWN. 
 
 lil 
 
 |i] 
 
 With I believe you 're safe to have your sovereic^ 
 to-mori'ow.' * 
 
 ' What do you mean by a little money to go on 
 with, Floribel ? ' 
 
 'Well, dear, we haven't as much money as we 
 Imd. We have had reverses. If you could get n.e 
 now, say, half-a-crown.' 
 
 'I? How can I give you half-a-crown?' 
 'Well, listen, love, and I'll explain. If I had 
 half-a-crown to-night I 'd sit in th market-place 
 and I 'd tell fortune.s-I and Hepsibah Lee. We 'd 
 tell fortunes together; but I can't do it without 
 a httle money first, for I want to have a table and 
 tvay, and I want to sell little coloured books and 
 things of that sort. Half-a-crown would do it 
 love; and I'd get-oh ! a great deal more than 
 a pound's worth of sixpences, for people are that 
 keen to look into the future, darling, that they 
 would give their last farthing to give theu.selves 
 that pleasure.' 
 
 'But you cannot really look into the future-can 
 you, Floribel?' 
 
 ' You cannot ; but I can,' said the gipsy in a calm 
 but convincing tone. ' Now, dear, can you get me 
 half-a-crown ? ' 
 
 'But I have not got a single fai thing.' 
 , 'Couldn't you borrow it fron. some one. love?' 
 
HALF-A-CROWN. 
 
 315 
 
 sovereign 
 
 to go on 
 
 y as we 
 get u.o 
 
 I had 
 
 et-place, 
 . We 'd 
 without 
 ible and 
 )ks and 
 do it, 
 e than 
 fe that 
 t they 
 mselves 
 
 'e — can 
 
 a calm 
 fet me 
 
 ?' 
 
 'Oh! let me tliink,' cried Rosaleen. 'Are you 
 perfect— perfect sure that you can bring me hack 
 tliat whole sovereign to-morrow ? ' 
 
 'Yes, and the half-crown too, dear, with it. One 
 pound two and sixpence you'll have l.y this time 
 to-morrow night. You have but to come lutro to 
 meet me, and you'll get all the money back.' 
 
 'Oh!' said Rosaleen, ' it would be such a comfort.' 
 'You don't look well, little mi.ssy.' 
 
 'I am quite well except' 
 
 ' Kxcept what, dear i* ' 
 
 'The weight at my heart.' Rosaleen pressed her 
 hand on her heart. 'I cannot have much spirit,' 
 she continued, 'when I remember that I am a 
 thief.' 
 
 'Oh, pooh!' said the gipsy woman; 'you run 
 about and play, and don't think so mucli of things. 
 But you shall have your sovereign back, because 1 
 promised you should, if you will only get me 
 half-a-crown now.' 
 
 Rosaleen thought for a moment. 
 
 'Amy has got seven and sixpence put away,' slie 
 remarked aloud. 'She has been saving it up all the 
 term to buy Christmas-boxes with. Perhaps she'll 
 lend me half-a-crown.' 
 
 * Of course, lovf : she wouldn't be a true sister 
 worthy the name if she didn't.' 
 
 I i 
 
^^^ HALF-A-CIIOWN. 
 
 ' Then I '11 run and ask her,' saiM RoHuleen. 
 
 She rushed back to the house, and upstairs into 
 the schoolroom, where Amy and Fred, now perfectly 
 happy and comfortable, were dili^.^ntly pursuing their 
 •spelling together. F,ed was standing, in f,ont of 
 Amy spelling correctly the longest an.i most out-of- 
 the- way words, 
 
 A.ny raised her head impatiently when Kosaleen 
 came in. 
 
 ' Well, what is it ? ' she asked. ' What a fine colour 
 you have got ! Is it nice outside ? ' 
 
 'Lovely in the garden,' replied Rosaleen. 'Amy 
 will you lend me half-a-crown ? ' 
 
 ' Why in the world should I do that ? ' said Amy 
 ' You are so careless with your money, and I have 
 saved mine.' 
 
 ' But .you shall have it back to-morrow night.' 
 
 ' What do you want it for ? ' 
 
 •I can't tell you. Will you lend it? I won't do 
 another word of spelling if you don't.' 
 
 'Oh dear, how queer and mysterious you aret' 
 said Amy. 'Well, I suppose I must; but you 
 faithfully promise to let me have it back to-morrow 
 night ? ' 
 
 ' Faithfully-sure-sure-sure,' said Rosaleen, em- 
 phasising the words an<l springing to her feet. 
 'You know where I keep my little savings-box- 
 
HALF-A-CROVVN. 
 
 Q. 
 
 airs into 
 perfectly 
 in^ their 
 front of 
 b out-of- 
 
 817 
 
 take it and run away. Now then, Fred, how do you 
 spell ' 
 
 But Rosaleen had slammed the door behind her; 
 she could not listen to Amy's spellinjr exercises at 
 that critical moment. 
 
 llo.saleen 
 
 e colour 
 
 'Amy, 
 
 1 Amy. 
 I have 
 
 ht.' 
 
 ft 
 
 on't do 
 
 are ! ' 
 t you 
 lorrow 
 
 1, em- 
 s-box : 
 
!11M 
 
 ' 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 ' don't hi: silent.' 
 
 ^HE .,cI,.,o1h wore to Uv„k up on tl,„ 
 Wi 22i"I, and Nina ua., e.Kpecteil hick on 
 tl.e 2:M. Thore were great prepava- 
 Hon. g„„,j; „„ i„ ti,^ Carlinyford 
 ."«-; but the topic of an topic., vva, the Ley 
 ball, wine, wa,, to take place on the 0th of 
 January -Liuie Cln.i.stn,as.day,' a« the children 
 cal ed ,t. Invitation., had been sent out to over 
 a hun.h.ed children, and the.,e had been eagerly 
 -ceptod; and the dressea that each wore to tea, 
 and the guine,, they were to „a,un,e, wore the solo 
 op.e., of conversation whenever any of these 
 happy clnldren met. 
 
 The Carlingfords were, of course, full of the great 
 oven and Peaeh had already written to Nin! on 
 the all-„nportant subject of dre.,s. Nina had written 
 back to tell her not to do anything with regard to 
 her wardrobe nntil .she, Nina, can.c back 
 
' don't JIE SILENT." 
 
 31 J) 
 
 on the 
 back on 
 prepnra- 
 rlinyford 
 le fancy 
 
 6th of 
 children 
 to over 
 eager]}' 
 o wear, 
 ;he sole 
 these 
 
 e great 
 ina on 
 tv-ritten 
 ^artl to 
 
 'I have got a great idea for my dross,' wrote Ninn, 
 'and also f(,r yours, Peachy, and the boys; tliey 
 must dress a,s I tell them too. We will make a tine 
 show at the dance, never f.ar. I mean to have quite 
 the prettiest dress in the roo' , 
 
 Peach took this letter ov* r to An'-, who .showed 
 it to Rosaleen. Rosaleen to.ssod back iter proiirl little 
 head, and said emphatically: 
 
 'There's no one will have a prettier dress to put 
 on than myself; and there's no one at the ball will 
 look better than me.' 
 
 Peach went back, reporting that Rosaleen nov/, to 
 all her other faults, was adding that of outrageous 
 vanity. 
 
 ' She says she will look better than any one else at 
 the ball. Did you ever hear such a thing, mother ? ' 
 cried angry Peach. 
 
 'Oh, never mind her, dear. Little girls of the 
 Rosaleen type often say wild things,' replied Mrs 
 Carlingford. 'Think about your own dress now. 
 Peach. Nina must not lead you away into too 
 extravagant ideas, for my purse has a limit, dear, 
 although sometimes I really think you cliildren 
 believe it to be boundless.' 
 
 'Oh no, we don't, mother,' said Ken, looking at 
 his mother with those kind, dark -gray eyes of lii.s, 
 which always caused her heart to beat with u sensa- 
 
 :i i 
 
320 
 
 'don't be silent.* 
 
 , 1 f ' 
 
 a' > i 
 
 .on of satofaction. He was such a fine, dear fellow 
 l>er eldest son, almost taking the plaee of his fathl" 
 now. She felt her heart ache at the thought of hi, 
 gonig to London so soon. 
 
 But „,ea„ti„,e there were other things verv 
 
 ™porta„t things, to he con,,i,,erod; and tl,;; were 
 ..".eh troubling the hearts of the two little si.,ters in 
 he Frere household. A,„y and Uosaleen had talked 
 f".- a long tiu,e of their present,. Notwithstanding 
 ho great fane, ball, the special gift given to then: 
 by the.r parents for the Christmas holidays, presents 
 must appear on every plate on Christmas „,„r„i„.. 
 Now, Rosaleen had not a penny in the world to buy 
 her presents with. She reg.darly received nin-penco 
 
 a week as pocket-money; Am, received a .siLr 
 ■sum. Amy had saved her ninepence week by week 
 and had now seven and sixpence; but prodigal and 
 careless Rosaleen had nothing. r b i. 
 
 'I tell you what it is,' said Amy. looking at h.r 
 httle ,.s er, and observing the tears which came into 
 Rosa eens eyes, although she was far too proud to 
 
 et hemfall-.Itel,y„uw„atitis,Rose;youand 
 I w,llg,ve presents between us; we'll buy them out 
 ot my seven and sixpence.' 
 
 -Oh. don't, don't. Amy.' cried Kose. She felt more 
 melmed to sob t'jan ever. 
 •or course, to-night you'll give me hack n,y half- 
 
'don't be silent.' 
 
 321 
 
 ear fellow, 
 his father 
 s:ht of his 
 
 igs, very 
 ie,se were 
 sisters in 
 id talked 
 istandinof 
 to them 
 presents 
 nioi-nin<r. 
 1 to buy 
 in*?ponce 
 similar 
 'y week, 
 gal and 
 
 at li( r 
 T.e into 
 •oud to 
 ou and 
 em out 
 
 t more 
 
 ^ half- 
 
 crown,' said Amy in an anxious tone. ' You will 
 — won't you ? ' 
 
 ' Oh, I am certain sure of it. But, there, Amy, we 
 cannot buy presents for every one — the two of r — 
 out of seven and sixpence. I — I cannot give aisy 
 presents.' 
 
 'Oh yes, you shull. I wouldn't enjoy my 
 Christmas a bit if you were out in the cold; and 
 you have been awfully good about your spelling, all 
 things considered. I know that what I find the most 
 delightful occupation in the world is a little tedious 
 to you. You have been oood; mother will be so 
 delighted to hear that you are going to have yet 
 anotner move. You are getting on splendidly. Rose ; 
 only I do wish, Rosie darling, that you did not look 
 so sad.' 
 
 ' I have a great worry at my heart/ replied Rosalccn. 
 She glanced full up at her sister. She was seated on 
 the floor, leaning up against the wall ; the firelight 
 danced on her black hair, on her red frock — she 
 invariably wore red— and on her bright eyes. Her 
 little face was thin and somewhat worn ; it had lost 
 a great deal of its colour. She glanced up at her 
 little sister. It might be possible for her to relieve 
 herself of the greatest load she had ever experienced, 
 the terrible load of concealed sin. She might be a 
 happy little girl once more. But no; she could not 
 
 The Odds and tlie Evens. 
 
 U 
 
(t^Z-' "^ 
 
 •'^ <^r. * 
 
 322 
 
 IjJ Hi 
 
 'don't FiE SfLENT.' 
 
 »ove,.o,^„ „n,l the half-crown; ske woul.l give A,„y 
 .ack ,ho haif-erown and slip the sovereign into her 
 
 ratlicr s waistcoat-pocket. 
 
 It di,i not occur to her that her father would be 
 very much surprised to receive his sovereign back 
 
 "' :: ''''''^' ' '''•■^y- A" «'- felt was that she 
 would no longer be a thief, and that the load at 
 I'or heart would be gone. She was restless now 
 when Amy spoke of the presents. 
 
 'I have it all planned/ said Amy. She flun^r ber- 
 .elf on the floor whore Rose was sitting. 'How nice 
 and warm and c ,sy it is here !' she added 'It is 
 just the hour when one could have a grand spelling- 
 lesson— withoiit books, I mean.' 
 
 ' No. no. I liave a headache. I couldn't spell a 
 word; I couldn't even spell your name/ answered 
 Kosaleen ni the most reckless fashion. 
 
 •That is not quite true; and you know it/ replied 
 Amy. 'B„t never mind; I won't M^orry you now. 
 Lets talk about t! presents. There's a lialf 
 holiday to-morrow, preparatory to school breaking 
 up on the following day. You and I must buy our 
 presents to-morrow, Rose. Mother says we may 
 go out shopping alone, for every one knows us so 
 well in the town. We will go to Pnterson's 
 the big fancy .shop, and we'll get-~_ Sit close 
 
'don't he sm,ext.' 
 
 .123 
 
 iior the 
 give Amy 
 ^ into her 
 
 would be 
 ^^n back 
 that she 
 ■ load at 
 less now 
 
 ung lior- 
 fow nice 
 • 'It is 
 spelling- 
 spell a 
 iswered 
 
 replied 
 u now. 
 ^ half, 
 eakincf 
 ay our 
 ! may 
 
 us so 
 rson's, 
 
 close 
 
 to me, l?«)He, and let's write down what wo rt-aliy 
 waTit.' 
 
 This faseinatijijv eniployniont would have been in- 
 tense joy to Rosaleen had she really possessed any 
 money herself; but she knew— she had a frightened 
 fear at her heart— that that half-crown niiMht not bo 
 forthcoming, and how could she and Amy purchase 
 out of five shillings presents for so many jx'ople ? 
 
 •I tell yon what it is,' said Amy, taking out a 
 bit of paper an.l preparing to write down ; ' suppose 
 we don't give any presents to one another. That 
 will leave four people to give presents to: our 
 darling father, our precious mother, and the two 
 girls. We can do that out of seven and sixpence 
 very nicely— can't we, Rose;" 
 'I suppose so,' replied Rosaleen. 
 'We'll put our two names to the presents, and 
 every one will know. Next year, perhaps, Rose, 
 you'll have money enough, and you'll he able to 
 help me. But I am so gla<l that we should give our 
 presents together this year; only, you must be (juite, 
 quite certain that the half-crown comes back again, 
 for we could not do much with five shillings. We 
 really couldn't; that would be only one and three- 
 pence for each person. You cannot bu}' much of a 
 thing for one and threepence, particularly at Christ- 
 mas-time.' 
 
m^ 
 
 ri 
 
 ^^^ '»ON'r BE SILENT.' 
 
 'I don't know.' said Rosaloen. 'I often think tJie 
 penny things are the best after all. But never mind 
 I hope I'll get the half-crown to-night.' 
 ' You hope ? Aren't you certain ? ' 
 'Oh yes, I suppose I am quite certain.' 
 They sat, their h.ads touching, consnltinc. about 
 ^- presents. Amy wished to give n.ore for her 
 fathers and mother's presents than for the presents 
 which the two girls were to receive. Rosaleen quite 
 agreed with this. She was not particularly friendly 
 with Prue and Patience just now; they were both too 
 fond of Nina. The very thought of Nina was like 
 a red rag to a bull, as far as the little girl's feelings 
 were concerned. At last she stole softly to her feet 
 
 ' I didn't know it was so late,' she said. 
 ^^•Why. where are you going? Are you going 
 
 'Yes; I am going to run about in the garden' 
 'It's so queer of you to want to go into the cold 
 
 cold snowy garden every night, just when it turns 
 
 dusk, said Amy. 
 
 'Oh, I like it,' answered Rosaleen. 'I am always 
 a free and wild sort, and the garden soothes me.' 
 
 ' May I come with you ? ' 
 
 'If you dare!' exclaimed Rosaleen. She turner 
 and flashed her eyes at her little sister, and doubled 
 up her small brown hand. 
 
think tiie 
 ever mind, 
 
 ing aboui 
 ■ for her 
 > presents 
 een quite 
 ' friendly 
 both too 
 was like 
 9 feelings 
 her feet. 
 
 u going 
 
 tden.' 
 ihe cold, 
 it turns 
 
 always 
 me.' 
 
 turiiec 
 loubled 
 
 'DON'T BE SILENT.' 325 
 
 'How fierce you got all of a sudden, and I have 
 been so awfully kind to you!" said Amy in an 
 injured tone. 
 
 ■Oh! I am .sorry, I „„, ,„,y_ ^my. I hope you 
 W.I j««t be patient with ,„o, for I a,„ that bothccl' 
 rephe,! Rosaleen in a voice of contrition. 
 
 •Won't you tell n,e what's worrying yc . ^ Any 
 one can 8ce that you a,e worried.' 
 
 •Oh, can they? Do you think people suspect? 
 Do they look at me ,„uch ? Do they think that I 
 nave got a secret?' 
 
 • People have no time to look at you much,' said 
 
 Amy ■You're no more than anybody else. If., 
 
 emble that you are .so conceited; but if people had 
 
 "ue to look at yo,,,' .she con. -.ed, 'they would see 
 
 that you are weighed down by a horrid secret I 
 
 expect you've done .something wrong, and that 
 
 you re in no end of a fright' 
 
 'Oh no, nor cried Eosaleen. 'How horrid of you 
 to have thoughts like tha„ about your own sis' r ^ 
 I won't talk to you any more. I'm going out into 
 the garden to cool myself.' 
 
 •Cool yourself, indeed!' said Amy. 'You are 
 queer. 
 
 , I^««-leen left the room.- She was too excited and 
 ooo anxious on this occasion to ren.ember her little 
 mv cloak 
 
 loak and red 
 
 I M 
 
 «ap. The fire, a bic 
 
 one, had made 
 
326 
 
 'don't ..i: SILENT.' 
 
 ■, * 
 
 I' • 
 
 
 1 ' 
 
 ■ • 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 J i,1-. 
 
 IJ 
 
 If 
 
 her cheeks hot, ami the fire of anxK>ty in her heart, 
 had aLso contrived to rendrr her feverish. Siio ran 
 downstairs in her slippers, un^l ,.„fc ;„, the snowy 
 garden. There was a slight thaw, and th.. patli; 
 were wet. Rosakon fhou.^ht nothing of tins The 
 '^^'arp, stingin^^ -.Iv was refreshing to her cheeks. She 
 ran wildly, p.utiu.'v .p tc the spot where Floribel 
 ought to be w.in,.g for her. HU. did not know 
 wlmt part of th. ..wn Floribel was to be found in • 
 ^he only know tl^at she was to tell fortunes in tij 
 market-place. 8he h.d told her so last night and 
 now she was coaung back to Rosaleen laden with 
 her spoils. Oh, of course, often as she had failed 
 the child, she would not fail her now -that wa.s 
 certain. 
 
 Kosaleea ran up to the stile an,l leant over it It 
 wa«a dark night; there wa« no ■„„„„, but .she eould 
 see a httle way acres., the snowy «eM. Any u,oment 
 she nught hear the quiek, daneing step of the grace- 
 ful g,p.,y girl. Her heart was heating hard She 
 peered with all her might into the darkness This 
 t.n,e, surely, Floril,el would not fail her. She h,„l 
 f\ '■"■ ''->f-='-o«-n ; she would earn the .sovereign 
 back again; she would bring the one pound tw 
 and SIX to-night. 
 
 J Floribel !■ said the , -Id .softly under her I. ,at„ 
 Honbell'she c„„ti,„„.d a little louder; l,„t -,..!,. 
 
'don't be silent.' 
 
 '1 hev lieait; 
 
 '. Siie ran 
 
 tlie snowy 
 
 t]W.s. Tlio 
 leeks. She 
 re Floribel 
 
 not know 
 
 found in; 
 nts in tho 
 night, aisl 
 Aden with 
 lad failed 
 
 that was 
 
 ^er it. It 
 
 slie could 
 y moment 
 he grace- 
 ii-d. Sl)e 
 
 'HS. Tills 
 
 She h;ii| 
 r^overei^jr 
 und tw 
 
 327 
 
 aUi. 
 
 Kit 
 
 an eclio answered back Rosaleen'.s woids. No 
 Floribel was con.ing to meet her. After a time, 
 feeling absolutely reckless, she climbed over the' 
 stile and jumped down into the field ; slie ran across 
 it a little way, still peering into the darkness and 
 looking in vain for Floribel. Floril.el did not come; 
 and now disappointment, pain, and anxiety made 
 Rosaleen remember that she was cold and her feet 
 wet. She went slowly back to the house, a very 
 miserable little girl indeed. 
 
 She had sufficient strength of mind to go up to 
 her room, change her wet shoes and stockhigs. and 
 put on another frock ; then, very unwillingly, she 
 joined Amy in the schoolroom. The lamp was burn- 
 ing brightly; the red curtains were drawn round 
 the windows; the white Persian cat was purring on 
 the hearthrug ; there was a brilliant fire in the grate. 
 Amy was seated at the centre table, busily preparing 
 her themes for the next day. She had her French 
 dictionary near her, and was murmuring little words 
 to herself. Her fair, neatly-ke^t hair was fallinc. 
 over her face. She just looked up as Rosaleen 
 came in. 
 
 'How late you are! Are you cool at last?' she 
 said. 'Oh, good gracious! Why. your cheeks are 
 as white as they were red when T last saw thcni. 
 You must have taken an awful chill.' 
 
 :i M 
 
 ' I '■••Hi* 
 
: I 
 
 ■I 
 
 ' E 
 
 il f .' 
 
 if 
 
 fill 
 
 
 : 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 J 
 
 1 
 
 IM 
 
 328 
 
 'don't he sflent.' 
 
 'I am a bit cold; hut tnke no notice/ replied 
 I^csaleen. ' Go on with your horrid lesions, and 
 leave me {ilone.' 
 
 'Have you got my lialf-awn ?' asked Amy. 
 • You 're in a very nasty humour, and 1 don't want 
 to worry you; but have you got my half-crown?' 
 
 'No, I've not. I 'spect I'il never get it now. 
 I 'spect it '8 lost as lost can be,' said Rosaleen. 
 
 She spoke in a most sombre tone, kneeling down 
 as she did so. and spreading out her hands to the 
 blaze. 
 
 It took a great deal to arouse Amy; in fact, no 
 one before had seen this very n.odel little girl in a 
 passion. But now Rosaleen's taunting words the 
 remembrance of her own generosity with regard to 
 the money she had saved so carefully, and the cruel 
 fact that one-third of that little sum was gone, as 
 Rosaleen had expressed it, for ever, were all too 
 much for poor Amy's equanimity. She sprang to 
 her feet, rushed towards Rosaleen, and, clasping her 
 by the shoulders, shook her violently. 
 
 ' You are bad ; you are horrid,' she cried. ' I can't 
 think what you 're made of. Are you a thief ? Did 
 you steal my half-crown?' 
 
 'No, I didn't steal it; I borrowed it. But I ex- 
 pected to get it back. It hasn't come.' 
 
 ' Is it really, really lost ? Oh ! please, Rose, don't 
 
ice,' replied 
 issons, and 
 
 iked Amy. 
 don't want 
 -crown ? ' 
 t it now. 
 Jeen. 
 
 ling down 
 ids to the 
 
 1 fact, no 
 girl in a 
 ^ords, the 
 regard to 
 the cruel 
 gone, as 
 all too 
 prang to 
 ping her 
 
 ' I can't 
 if? Did 
 
 it I ex- 
 
 36, don't 
 
 'JJOX't JiE SILENT.' 
 
 329 
 
 tell me that it is lost. Oh ! I have saved it up so 
 hard. Rose I Rose!' 
 
 ' I am sorry. I nm awfully i.iisorahlo,' replied Rosa- 
 leen. 'But it's lost. There! yon n.ay scoM n.o as 
 much as you like. Begin; I am ready to li.stcn.' 
 
 She sank down on the floor near the fire, ^.nd 
 turned her face towards Amy. 
 
 'You can begin; you can go on; you can scold, 
 scold, scold. If you do it too long I '11 shut up my 
 ears; but if you do it just for a little time I'll 
 listen. Now betrin.' 
 
 'Oh! you're hopeless,' ansM'ered Amy. 'I declare 
 I'd be better without a sister.' 
 
 She went back again to her lessons, and bel,^'^n 
 murmuring the words of her French transIatLn 
 aloud. 
 
 No punishment could be more severe to Rosalcen 
 than this. She would have almost enjoyed seeing 
 Amy dance up and down, white with passion, and 
 hearing her angry words; but for her little sister, 
 the little sister whom she really loved, to say that 
 ■she would rather have no sister at all than her, and 
 for that little sister then to go calmly back to her 
 books, was too much for the excited, wilful child. 
 She sprang up, rushed towards Amy, and, taking 
 her r^i-ench exercise, flung it on the floor. 
 
 ' Oh, you are too prim for anything ! ' she cried. 
 
 <r«% 
 
 . ,**rtW^^^^^^^Hi:^ 
 
330 
 
 'don't be sile>jt.' 
 
 ■You shall-yo« .„™t-«poak to me. Shut „p y„„ 
 iulk to mo; 1,0 cro„; l,o a„yt„i„g but Mff stiff 
 
 ».ent.no„t. wt bo n,.„po. ,Je ^ J;; :■ 
 
t up your 
 •ou don't. 
 Htiff, stiff, 
 ^oo(J; get 
 ily, don't 
 
 881 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 'let's find the silliest shop.' 
 
 |HE next <]ay Rosaleen had a bad 
 cold; her throat was sore and she 
 had slavering fits. The doctor came 
 ■ d pronounced the little girl highly 
 feverish. He aid she must have cuught a diill, 
 and ordered her to stay in bed. Rosaleen Mas (juite 
 ^dad oi tliat. She bad given up almost all hope 
 now of getting the half-crown back; and, as to the 
 sovereign, of course that was completely lost. If 
 Floribel could fail her once she would fail her again. 
 Rosaleen was glad to turn her face to the wall"; to 
 tell her mother and Amy, and Piue mid Patience, 
 <l'at her eyes ached, and .she liked lo .stay in the 
 dark. 
 
 hea 
 
 m 
 
 "oward 
 ache 
 proportion did the ai 
 
 s evening, however, .he was better: her 
 
 left he:- ; the feverishness went down But 
 
 i^'jfui.sh of her poor little suul 
 
 ^ 
 
882 
 
 'let's KINJ) TDK SILLIEST SHOP.' 
 
 ''•■ liliiu 
 
 mcrefiso in intensity. This w,m ih.. l 
 
 1 A ^^ ""^- *^^W when shr. 
 
 la l,e ,„o„.„.g A,„y ,„.,, ,.t , ,,^.^ 
 
 read he., a ,,t„..,. It was rafe a dull book ■ but 
 
 Rosaloon pretended to listen. She kept h„r 'b!l 
 
 to An,y all the thno; .n,d A,„, reud on pa.e at 
 .^a«. J«.t as . Ho^leen we™ the best iL; :^^' 
 " ""^ ™'-'''- ""'tcad of. as the Httle «i,.l was forced 
 ^ow „,,_„^_^ B-intheal^^ol 
 
 belt r" '" '"'■ "' "■' ■' ""'• ">- R^-l-n 
 
 began to m.ss her. Old nnrse sat by her bedside and 
 nurse was dull con.pany. She hadLn a very , d 
 n..rso ,„ her day; but she was almost past , fork 
 
 r«sr;ent;ks""her 7'"™' """ ''""^- ""^ 
 What foil ™ly «-«er wa.,. .Eh?_eh? 
 » hat tolly you arc talkinj; ; Stav nmVt • ., 
 Invp • Tk ^ ^""'t ' "tay qu ct, 
 '0 e. There was not the least good in Hyl ,J 
 into a nassiftn i» fi 'v'"H out 
 
 passion ,n the presence of a deaf won.-m 
 who said, 'Eh'— ,.|i? wi.„i i- n woman 
 
 Ro,„.. "^ J'"" '™ talking ! ' 
 Koaaleen was quite relieved, therefore, when Lv 
 eame m about five o'clock sh„ . , ^ 
 
 parcels in her hand. "' "'"■'" ""'^ 
 •You can go now, nursy,' shouted Amy in the 
 oM wonians ear. Aecordin.,v nnrse hobbi'd ,-, ! 
 'eet, picked up her knitting, and left t -o,,,,. 
 
 J ! 
 
vvlicii 8ho 
 H tf)<;ether. 
 n for her ! 
 'dside and 
 look ; but 
 
 hor buck 
 'iige after 
 ttio sister 
 as forced 
 afternoon 
 Rosaleen 
 «itle, and 
 ery good 
 st work 
 in. She 
 i3nt and 
 (i ?— eh ? 
 y quiet, 
 ing out 
 woman 
 king!' 
 n Amy 
 1 little 
 
 in the 
 
 ti^' her 
 u. 
 
 •let's find the silliest shop.' 
 
 3;}n 
 
 'Are you really better, Rosaleen?' said Amy. 
 
 'Oh yes. I expect I am a lot," answered Itosalccn. 
 ' What are these parcels i ' 
 
 'Our presents,' whispered Amy, 
 
 ' Our presents ? You don't mean to say you '11 let 
 mo go halves now?' 
 
 'Why not? You didn't mean to lose that half- 
 crown.' 
 
 •Oh, indeed, indeed, indeed I didn't! Oh Amy, 
 you are a kind girl.' 
 
 'I have not got as nice things as I meant to,' said 
 Amy. 'Perhaps I'd Lest lock the door; we can 
 open them then, and look at them.' 
 
 'Oh! do; let's,' cried Rosaleen. 'That will be 
 quite lovely.' 
 
 Amy accordingly tiptoed across the roon., and 
 turned the key in the lock ; then, having supplied 
 Rosaleen with a dressing-gown, she helped her 
 to sit up in bed, and even went the length of 
 allowing her to open some of the parcels. It was 
 so fascinating to slowly untie that string, to lay it 
 on the bed, and imfold the brown-paper wrappings; 
 and there came little screams and cries of wonder.' 
 and 'Oh Amy, how clever of you to think of 
 that ! Won't mother just love this little photograph 
 frame! Oh! and nail-scissors for father -how 
 nice! And thi^ little packet of all sorts of sticking- 
 
^ > 
 
 ?J 
 
 3o4 
 
 'let's find the silliest shop.' 
 
 fi,: Sf i , 
 
 plaster for Patience; only, why ,li.l yo„ get it for 
 
 Patience ? ' 
 
 'Because she's nk-ays cttin^. her fincrers; don't 
 .y.m know that?' replied A.ny. 'I always go in 
 ior the useful; .she added. 
 
 'I know. I wish you were not quite so proper' 
 Kosaleen could seldom keep buck her real self. 
 
 'This is for Prudence; continued Amy 'Don't 
 you think she will like it? It s thirteen exercise- 
 books; they cost a penny each. I thought she 
 would be so pleased.' 
 
 'I am sure I don't know. I think it's rather a 
 dull present; said Rosaleen. 'Oh, I wish I had 
 money of my own!' 
 
 'If we had that half-crown that you lost' But 
 there, it doesn't much matter now; continued An.y • 
 'only, I'd have bought pretty things-bon-bons and 
 flowers.' 
 
 'I wish I had it! I wish I had it! I long to 
 give ic back to you,' cried Rosaleen. 
 
 'But don't you think, on the whole, the presents 
 are very nice ? ' 
 
 ' Yes, very nice. I love them all. Now take them 
 away; my hea.l aches.' 
 
 The next day Rosaleen was so much better that 
 she was allowed to get up. She was on no account 
 tu go out, however. She sut feeling sun.ewhat 
 
'let's find the silliest shop.' 
 
 335 
 
 important and a little languid in the comfortable 
 schoolroom. There a considerable fuss was made 
 over her. Prudence and Patience both came in to sit 
 with her at intervals, and chat with her; and all 
 their talk was about the fancy ball and the delight 
 they felt in the return of Nina Carlingford. 
 
 Rosaleen bore this style of conversation for some 
 little time without any remark; but presently the 
 proverbial last straw came. Prudence said some- 
 thing even more exasperating than usual; and 
 Rosaleen, raising her big, dark eyes, said in a low, 
 emphatic, defiant voice : 
 
 'I wish you would talk about somebody else. 
 Don't you know— can't you see— that I hate Nina 
 Carlingford so bad that— that — oh ! you don't know 
 how I hate her ! To look at her gives me paiji. I 
 loiitho her; I think she is tlie most hateful, horrid, 
 nasty, disagreeable girl in all the wide, wide woild.' 
 
 Rosaleen's tone was so slow, so emphatic, and the 
 look in her big eyes so i-emarkable that Prudence 
 was slightly alarme<l. She did not speak at nil 
 foi- a minute ; then she bent forward and laid her 
 cool hand on the little girl's foi'i-head. 
 
 'Are you sure that your headache has not come 
 back ? ' she asked. ' You must be getting feverish 
 
 agam. 
 
 'I have always this sort of feeling,' said Rosaleen. 
 
' I 
 
 M 
 
 I I 
 
 iij 
 
 I I : 
 
 % 
 
 ,!l III jffi 
 ■fit 
 
 336 'LWsi-mDraE SILLIEST SHOP/ 
 
 'Don't touch me, p,„,.o.' She p„„ed „„,,e,f ,„„„. 
 a ntly away, „,„, ,,„•,,„, .,.,„ ,,,,,, ^^_.^_ J 
 «iae ot the biV/ fire. 
 Jn.c.™ee „„„t o, p_„^ ,„,„ ^_^^^^, ^ ^^^^ 
 
 n,i'''^fT•^ '""""■• ""-^ ''--■■■■'''ere. 
 marked. I tinnk. mother, you ought to try and 
 send her to school. She ou^ht m \ • 
 
 ^-a"..erpre.,ent.urrouX rtllT 
 n.o.t awfu, „ay about our da.lg Nil " 
 
 ^es, I don't much like th^ ni -i v 
 
 lately/ «aid Mrs F.ere T '' ^^P""^^" 
 
 it-a kin.1 .f • . ^^'''^ ^^^^" remarked 
 
 ic— ca kind ot intense look as if ih^ 
 
 fu; , ' a*^ " tliere were somp- 
 thmg on her mind.' 
 
 «l.e .poke ofNta:' ""^ ''""^ '^'^'^'^ "'^ ™^ 
 Mrs Frere thought over Prudence', remarks and 
 >■' the course of the afternoon she went aln ! 
 tl'e .schooh-oom and sat down bv t e ! n " 
 '.nhappy little pri,,„„„^ ''•> "'« ^"'"'"y and 
 
 'Would my little girl like tn „i- . 
 ''-. put her head f„ mil br': Z,T'' 
 good loug eosyhu.,. said M. J^lT^nlt ! ' 
 «ve voice which none of h. t L '*^'"" 
 
 resisted. •""■ '"^''*» ''^'l ever 
 
 Rosaleen, however, beffan tr, . u, 
 
 ■ negan to tremble when her 
 
to her 
 
 I 
 
 'let's find the silliest shop.' 337 
 
 mother made this offer. She know well that her 
 mother alone in all the worM had the power of 
 drawing her real heart out of her breast. 
 ■ 'If she begins to kiss nu> if her kisses feel too 
 soft, if her ar,ns feel too con.f'y, I ']] bec-jn to cry 
 and then it will be all np with me,' thought the 
 child. So she said a little stiffly, turnino- away her 
 head and shrugging her shoulders: 
 
 •I think not, mother; not to-day, please.' 
 
 ' But why not, dear little woman ? ' 
 
 'Because ' said Rosaleen; then she stopped 
 
 She sprang su.ldenly to her feet-' Because I don't 
 want to be melted to-day.' 
 
 'You have something fretting you, Rosaleen. Don't 
 you think you had better tell mother ? ' 
 
 'Not to-day,' replied Rosaleen; 'not to-day. Talk 
 to me about anything in all the world except Nina 
 Carlingford.' 
 
 'But why should you dislike poor Nina?' 
 ^ ' If you talk of her my head will ache that bad 
 It will split almost,' said Rosaleen. 'Talk of any- 
 body or anything but Nina,' and then she herself 
 turned the conversation rather deftly. 8he tdked 
 about Christma.s and Amy, and told her mother 
 with wonderful self-repression that she knew 
 she was going to be moved into a higher class 
 alter Christmas, and that she was gettino- a little 
 
 '( . 
 
 T'lfi Odds and the Evens. 
 
;j3.s 
 
 'I-ET'S FIND THE SILLIEST SHOP.' 
 
 ■It's all „„i„, t„ Amy,' .,,,e ,aid in conclusion. 
 Amy ,s al,„ost pc-tVct. Sl,„ i„ t,„ ,„,, „, 
 oni-ht to be despemto proud of, „u,„„My' 
 
 'A3 a matter of f„ct.' replied Mr« Frere, ■ 1 „,„ 
 extrem,.Iy proud „f all ,ny children, I never »aw 
 ™eh a neat, capable, ail-ro„„d, clever .sort of „irl as 
 PnMence; and there never was a tenderer eom;a„ion 
 nor a n.ore un.sellish ,irl than Patience; and there 
 
 never was a cleveivp m»i ,•« i 
 
 cieveiei gnl ^ lier way, nor a neater 
 
 or more model one than my lifctle Amy; and' 
 
 'Oh! don't, mother; don't talk about me,' .said 
 Kosaleen, 
 
 ■But 1- n,ust, love. There never ™ a girl who 
 had so „,„eh gnen to her by God as my Dark 
 Eosaleen-beauty of person, beauty of soul-.reat 
 groat nobleness' " ' 
 
 Jcm't,mo..r:it'.nottrue. I mean, if it was 
 ttue It 8 lost; cried Rosaleen. 
 
 'It can never be lost, darling; not while you live 
 
 You have but to' ^ 
 
 'What, mother?' 
 
 |If you have been going a little bit on the wron. 
 
 yourself n, he r,gl,t path again-the narrow way 
 —and all win be uell.' ' 
 
' LET 'S FIND THE SILLIEST SHOP.' 
 
 «o much 
 
 cmcliision. 
 girl you 
 
 0, '1 am 
 Jver saw 
 f girl as 
 mpauion 
 :id there 
 I neater 
 i' 
 
 »e,' said 
 
 irl who 
 / Dark 
 -great, 
 
 it was 
 
 •u livQ. 
 
 wrong 
 i put 
 
 '' way 
 
 339 
 
 Rosalecni's face turned very white. 
 
 'All right, mother,' she said. She bent towards 
 her mother and kissed her-n-.t with lier old im- 
 petuosity, but quite a cold, chilly, sad little kiss- 
 and ran out of the room. 
 
 'Poor child! how am I to g.t to that frozen up 
 heart of hers?' tliought the mother. She felt 
 anxious; but she would not hasten matters. 'Chil- 
 dren are children,' she said to herself; 'each one has 
 her own peculiar character. It would never do to 
 press for Rosaleen's confidence. I am quite certain 
 that things will come right in the end. Only,' she 
 added under her breath, 'why does she hate Nina 
 Carlingford ?' 
 
 Meanwhile the preparations for Christmas were 
 almost completed. Amy had packed the parcels with 
 wonderful neatness. She had two or three pence 
 over, which she expended on narrow blue ribbon. 
 Each parcel was folded up in pretty white paper 
 and tied with blue ribbon; and Rosaleen, sad as 
 she was, took an interest in these preparations. 
 The presents thems.ives, however, scarcely pleased 
 her. She wanted to have something light and frivo- 
 lous and festive to -'Id to the gifts. The half- 
 crown— the lost half-crnwn -would do this. ]f 
 only she could get i( ! 
 
 This WHS the Lreak-uj) day, a.nd early on (he 
 
,11 r 
 
 1 ■' !| 
 
 I I 
 
 ) 1 
 
 f t J^ - 
 
 na 
 
 8«) 'LET'S FIND THE SILLIEST SHOP.' 
 
 following morning Nina wa, to return. Rosaleen 
 wanted to be weU out of the way when t^^: 
 event occurred. In the .,u,„„,er .,„e had torne with 
 N.na; but then she had not done anything wrong 
 Now .r whole heart wa« .ore-sore with p'ain, Z 
 w,th he weight of her guilty „eeret. As she „,„ 
 
 or the stolen sovereign, she now could not bear to 
 oo at he. But it would co.niWt her a m. 
 ■f she could get back that half-crown for A,ny 
 T^.ey ,„,ght then, between the», buy some lighT 
 damty. fr,volous things to add to the Chri.stL 
 
 -Anything that is n.,t useful,' thought Eo.,aleen- 
 any h,„g that ^on't be any good at all to anybody; 
 that s the sort of present I want ' 
 
 Accordingly, towards evening .,he .lipped away to 
 ''" "'7 ^ 0-™^' *« had co,„e to her. sL 
 «^3 »d„ that .he did not n.„cb,„i„d what 
 
 fe.^"::^;^;:^*'^™""^'''"'^^ 
 
 inaeea, the chill, severe e.ioogh at the 
 t™e, had al„.o.,t passed off! There w« „« one 
 present, for A„,y „,, o„t ,,it, ,^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^ 
 
 two elder girls were at the Carlingfords'. She dre.s.^1 
 herself hastily. Her idea was to go to the ™..ket- 
 place and try to «nd Floribel. If ^he co„ld see 
 
 , II. J. 
 
Rosaleen 
 this grnat 
 orne with 
 ig wrong, 
 pain, yoro 
 she most 
 ^sponsible 
 t bear to 
 
 a little 
 or Amy. 
 tie light, 
 'hristmas 
 
 saleen — 
 nybody ; 
 
 iway to 
 r. She 
 d what 
 
 i-nd Hhe 
 •t the 
 90 ooe 
 tnd the 
 iress^ 
 »a**ket- 
 Id see 
 
 '1,ET',S l.M\|) TIIK SILLIIOST SHOP.' ;M,1 
 
 either her or Hepsibah Lee ,she might force them 
 at least to be honest enough to return the haU'- 
 crown. The wild, wild <lream that the soverei-m 
 would also be given back was too delicious to <la"e 
 to think much about ; but at least the half-crown 
 might be secured. 
 
 Accordingly, the little girl stole out of the house 
 No one saw her go. If any one guessed tl.at she 
 would dare to go out to-night she should be 
 severely punished. She knew ber way very well 
 about the town. She had but to turn to her ricdit 
 to walk down the High Street, to go under an arch' 
 and she would find herself in the market-place. Her 
 dread was the possibility of n.eeting her mother, or 
 any of her sisters, or any of the Carlingfords. She 
 had gone but a few steps, however, whe.i a voice 
 sounded in her ears. She turned and saw Fred 
 Carlingford. 
 
 ' ^^^''^ «^'« yo« J?oing ? I thougJit you were quite 
 ill,' said the littlo Kh- 
 
 'So 1 wjis quite ill; but I'm quite well again,' 
 replied Rosaleen. 'Don't people recover ? Bahl^ow 
 funnily yarn talk." 
 
 'Tt'.s yoo who talk funnily,' said Fred. 'Don't 
 you want mo to come with you?' 
 
 Rosaleen conssdered. She certainly did not want 
 
 J* fori n vyn --s»* .,.». i. .^ r% A _ 
 
 --. « I" ™viiL ,-i,jrti, nnt now, to her dismav, she 
 
:.'<. . 
 
 W 
 
 STll 
 
 m 
 
 1 
 
 ; It 
 
 ! I I 
 
 MiHi 
 
 84: 
 
 J^KT'.s FIND T 
 
 found her kne 
 
 HE .siij,ii:sT sriop, 
 
 cs 
 
 very weak and tntt 
 
 '»'>nd slii^htly inclined to tui 
 o lean slightly 
 n.s veiy ayniputlietic pv 
 
 crMip- 
 
 and 1 
 
 cointbrtahle t 
 feel 1 
 
 'If 
 
 ■n 
 
 a& 
 
 ler 
 as 
 
 «i'I'ly; and it w 
 siin.st Fred, and to 
 
 3'ou '11 promise ne 
 to tell/ said RoHaleen, 
 you come with me.' 
 
 c'Monce near her. 
 
 vor, never, whatever happens. 
 ' I )erhaps — perhaps I'll J(>t 
 
 01 
 
 i" replied Fred, 'I 
 
 11 
 
 tell, 
 
 never 
 I'lill out my tongue with hot ,,incei-.s ' 
 
 ■An right; »„i,, Ro^loc. ■! .,pp„,, ,.„„ ^,,„ 
 koop your wo,-,l_fe,v l,„y» e.n,, aud y„„ ,.,. .. 
 Ca.h„„t„..d, and they Ve »„ch a p„o.. lot-bnt per- 
 haps yon cm, just for once.' 
 
 'Try u,e,' exch.in,ed Fred, enduring this in.hgnity 
 ^.e n,e,„ber. of hi,, own hou,sehoW for the chance 
 ot Rosaleeos n,o»t fascinating society. 
 'Where are we going?' he mM 
 ■YonmigU be a sort of little lu.s,, and tou.e 
 fo. the tune,' ....gge.ted Rosaleen, .and let ,„e ,e,„ 
 
 h— rrr'and'Tei '"" "^ ^" "'^"■""'o-' 
 
 ^Mtc, and let u** cro arm-in-arm.' 
 She said thi. beeause she did not choose to tell 
 1 .ed how very giddy she felt, 
 ■! «m ever so doligh.ed,' said Fred, 'to be your 
 
 h-hand. Then y,.,re Mrs Frederic. Carlingfor'l 
 ^^ever! cried the an-rv Ro.sal^pn 'T . r.„,...._ 
 
LET S FIND THE SILMNST SI 
 
 lOI' 
 
 find her 
 •^1 it wa.s 
 I, and to 
 
 happens, 
 1 I'll let 
 
 if tliev 
 
 3'ou can 
 ou re a 
 3nt per- 
 
 idignity 
 i chance 
 
 to nie 
 le loan 
 always 
 <hioned 
 
 to tell 
 
 ? your 
 
 -orrl.' 
 
 irliug- 
 
 :U3 
 
 ford! I wouldn't take W 
 
 
 10 name f(,i- all you eoiild 
 
 give nie. 
 
 'You must take it if yon marry me,' said Fred. 
 
 'I wouldn't marry you really; it's only make- 
 believe, you know.' 
 
 •Very well,' agreed Fred; 'here's my arm.' 
 
 Rosaleen hooked herself on to it, and found it a 
 great support. 
 
 'Let's go quickly, husband,' she said. 'We are 
 going to the market-place.' 
 
 'The market-place! How very nice!' exclaimed 
 Fred. ' Why so ? ' 
 
 'I want to find a beautiful gipsy lady; her name 
 is Floribel.' 
 
 'Fioribel? The same gipsy we saw that morn- 
 ing?' said Fred. 
 
 'Yes; the very same. But do not talk of that 
 morning, husband. I don't choose to have it 
 alluded to.' 
 
 'All right,' replied Fred in a tone of deep 
 submission. 
 
 'You know,' said Rosaleen, half - lau-hing, and 
 recovering her spirits rapidly, 'there's been a new 
 sort of marriage ceremony said over us, and you have 
 promised to obey me. See you do it, that's all.' 
 
 'Oh yes, I'll do it,' answered Fred, gL.d to think 
 he was not really Rosaleen's husband. 
 
I ! 
 
 314 
 
 J, 
 
 ifeiiH 
 lllil 
 
 'I'CT'S FIND THE .SII.UEOT Km,:' 
 
 When wo .ot to t.,0 >„ark,.t-pl„co 1 want t„ talk 
 rnvate to Flonb,,. You can bo «t,.„di„, near 2 
 
 »lmtj.o„,.oa..» so that you nee,l not listen' 
 •But that will bo very ,|„ll for n.e/ ,aid Fred 
 Husbands obey y„„, „;,„, and stop talk n,-; 
 
 was liosalocn's reply. "^ 
 
 They wulkod on Prp<5Anfl,r ^.i 
 ,„„ 1 , , i-resently they reached the 
 
 .narkot-place. B,.i„„ » near .Christmas, it wa« 
 -y ull. Al, kin,,s of goo<, things were seattel: 
 .A.oa.l on n,any .tails. La„tc.r„s shone brightly 
 Ches ..ed in the cold „i,l,t „ir; people gesticu-' 
 ^ d and pra,s.l ...ir wares in all kinds of tones, 
 rvosaleen was nrn? w>-ar, nv. • i 
 
 , ,. ' ••"^^" ^ny special notice of, nor 
 
 was her l.ttle co,„p...„ion. There were .nany ehildre,! 
 of the poorer cla..s in the nmrkct-place, and these 
 two mingled with the others 
 
 _We „,nst find Floribel. I don't want to see any- 
 body else,' said Rosaleen. '^ 
 
 At last they clid find her-strange to say, Floribel 
 
 . t o?t!n '" ■'*-"'■ ^ ^"^ ^-"y-^'ecorated 
 
 Wtlo stall ,„ one corner of the niarket-place. The 
 ...oment .she saw her, Uo.aleen left Fred's sid. 
 rusW up to her, an,l p„,h,d her violently by the' 
 an, „e„ causing her to upset a greTt bike 
 or red Cahfornian apples. 
 
 'Oh dear! oh dear!' cried Floribel. 'What are 
 you doing here, little missy?' ' 
 
 
 li'ii 
 
lint to talk 
 near, but 
 1.' 
 
 d Fred. 
 ) talkin<:,' 
 
 Lchoil tlio 
 I, it was 
 
 scatterod 
 brightly ; 
 e gesticu- 
 of tones, 
 i of, nor 
 
 children 
 nd these 
 
 see 
 
 any- 
 
 Floribel 
 eeorated 
 3. The 
 's side, 
 by the 
 basket 
 
 lat are 
 
 'let's find the sillikst shop.' 345 
 
 'I want to sp^ak to you, you bad, deceitful' 
 
 shouted the chihl, her face white with passion, her 
 teeth showing. 
 
 'Mother, will you look after things ? ' saiu . loribel 
 in a careless tone. ' What do you want to say to 
 
 me, missy ? ' 
 
 Rosaieen pulled her to one side. 
 
 'I was waiting f < r you two niglits ago/ said 
 
 Rosaieen, 'and I ca-.ght an awful chill, and you 
 
 never, never came ba.k either with the half-crown 
 
 or the pound ! Oh ! you are bad ; you are deceitful.' 
 
 ' You had best stop that, missy,' replied the gipsy 
 
 woman. 'I can't stand bei„nr spoken to in that 
 
 tone, not by nobody If you want to speak to me, 
 
 apenk; but don't take that tone, missy.' 
 
 'I do want to speak to yon, and I'll take what 
 tone I like. Where's my sovereign?' 
 
 'Oh, love, I have collected some of it, but not 
 all. That half-cro\ you gave ' m- was no end of 
 use,' said th. gipsy. 'I'll have the sovereign for 
 you in a night or two.' 
 
 ' Oh, how am I to believe you ? You have pro- 
 mised so often.' 
 
 ' I '11 do it tliis time, love — I wi^l' 
 
 ' Have you got the half-crown to give back now ? 
 It doesn't belong at all to me; it's \my's half- 
 crown. Can you at least give me that back?' 
 
IMAGE EVALUATION 
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 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
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346 
 
 ' I 
 
 ' LKT 'S FIND THE siLutsT SHOP.' 
 
 h\ 
 
 J / ■' '' "'""""^ '° '"»■« "'«>■ fortune, 
 n i:^n , "i-'if)ence. According v nffp.- 
 
 ■• But j.o„ .,,a„ ,,uve tin'.,. ,.„,, , ,, „„,^ ,„;; 
 the sixpence and tho pound- „k1 t'li , ■ 
 
 --^ ---^ and !,,:;;:: i m- 
 
 J'ving woman on Christ.nas night.' 
 'But Clu-istnias nir^ht is no n-^^^ t 
 
 -O-tWng to be air 1 Tn r, ,"'■■' '"'■ 
 -id poo,. Ucaleen. ' "^'"'■^"""^ '"°™'"g-' 
 
 i-oplied the gipsy. 'Now tlien ,„;, ,. 
 
 You'll bo ,.e„a..ked he.-e • J^u. "" ""''^'• 
 
 and tell your .uother' ' ' ""'"'^ "" ^o 
 
 deign even to , ,, """ """ ?«•=«', did not 
 
 toward; Ld ' '"'"'^■^ '" ""= ^'P^^-' ""«' '--d 
 ■Take „e home, please, husband; she ,aid. 
 '■'• ""'•■■ '■'P"«'' ^-'^- He hooked his am.. 
 
)P.' 
 
 J" a liuinour 
 nli,^•llt shout 
 Jowds which 
 -»• fortune.s 
 ^ Jk^'I" pahn 
 '"gJy, after 
 out of her 
 
 " not got 
 t 'm tellincr 
 1 owe ^ou 
 
 brine 
 
 you 
 
 as I'jii a 
 
 ant it for 
 morning',' 
 
 >as night/ 
 in away. 
 ' will go 
 
 ' tliought 
 t, did not 
 id turned 
 
 lis arm. 
 
 'let's find the silliest shop." mi 
 
 Rosaleen leano upon it, and they loft the niuiket- 
 plaee. 
 
 'What did (hat queer little lady want ^ ' asked 
 H'.'psibah of her daughter-in law, Floribel. 
 
 'She's a very strange little lady, and going to he 
 very treublesonie,' replied Floribel. ' It would never 
 do for her to make a real fuss about that sovereign. 
 We might be found out, and the police might "be 
 down upon us. The police are precious hard" on us 
 gipsies in these days.' 
 
 ' But what did you promise her ? ' asked Ilepsihali. 
 
 'I told her I would let her have the sovereign 
 bfick on Clnistmas-nifTht ' 
 
 'Poor child." .said the gipsy 'There's nothing ,s,, 
 troublesome as a child, when she takes the bit be- 
 tween her teeth. But I tell you what. Suppose ' 
 
 'Suppose what?' said Floribel. 
 
 'We are leaving here the day after to-morrow, as 
 you know, to go to Orchardson, which is ten miles 
 away Suppose you were to give Ikt one of those 
 false sovereigns; .she wouldn't know it from true.' 
 
 ' But then we might get into no end of a scrape,' 
 replied Floribel. 
 
 ' How can she prove anything against us ? She '11 
 think it's all right, and we'll be off ami out of the 
 country before any one can lind out what we've 
 done,' 
 
\ ;« 
 
 i,'. i 
 
 f •] 
 
 'I 
 
 ilk.. 
 
 348 
 
 •l^KT'.S P,xn THE SILLIEST SHOP.' 
 
 wi- the, .ot .to tl.e : Jet "^"°^^^^^^^ 
 'I have ,ot two sln^^^^^^^^ 
 
 Amy s n,one.y. but she has agreed that .s.e ,.nd I 
 ^'•« to spend it between „s Sho 1 , . 
 
 ""I'ortant p^-esents all h i '^ ^^ ^'" '""''^^ 
 
 I piesents all her lone se f. Now T 'ii i 
 
 the silly p,e,sent,s by my lone self R , , ^'^ 
 
 «- very si„ie,st hin. on ,''"^'""'' "^^^^ '« 
 
 person?' ^ " '^" ^">^ ^^r another 
 
 ;l am sure I don't know; said Fred 
 J^et -s go into a shop and ask.' 
 'What shop shall we go to?' 
 
 'J^et's press our noses outside the w, . , 
 
 when v/e see «„ „ <? „ ^'''' anfl 
 
 see an awfully, awfully sillv shon l.f 
 
 go m and ask.' "^ P' ^^^ « 
 
 'All right; answered Fred. He found n • 
 -re exciting than the n.arket-pLe "tI ^^ T 
 been in the mlJ „ ^ d , ^ ■^"^" "^ ha( 
 
 ' '"'' '"-' " ™y the .silhVrt things.' 
 
^ tliought; 
 
 lie liio-hcst 
 n iiu.sband 
 
 849 
 
 fit'd; 'it's 
 liie ,'ind I 
 t-lio most 
 ' I 'II buy 
 kI, what 's 
 ■ another 
 
 vs, and 
 3p. let's 
 
 ■s much 
 he had 
 fy cross 
 er oray, 
 cheeks 
 
 M'orld/ 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 'A THRILL-DOWN-YOUR-BACK.' 
 
 HRISTMAS-DAY cimo. It was a very 
 cold day— quite the old-fashioned sort 
 of Chri.st!iia.s-day. The Freres and tlie 
 
 ' Carlingfonls were to pass the hours 
 
 of this blessed day together; that had been 
 the proverbial custom of the families from the 
 time of their infancy. Rosaleon had to bear this 
 state of tilings as best she conM. For instance, the 
 Carlingfords breakfasted with the Freies, an.l the 
 Freres dined witli the Carlingfords; such was the 
 order of events. 
 
 Rosaleen was too much excited even to ask to be 
 allowed to stay at home when the time came to <.o 
 over to the Carlingfords'. She tried to forget, how- 
 ever, that Nina was there; she determined not to 
 look at Nina if possible. Certainly she would not 
 speak to her unless it was necessarj-. 
 
350 
 
 'a Tjfuiij,-i)o\vy.V(mi{-n.^cK.' 
 
 It |! 
 
 Tl,e p,.e„e„t, were to b„. «i.,.„ i,„„u..li,aoiy after 
 
 .-•It A,„y ,,a,I ,«„ „ UtU. „„.,o,„,,. s, '. ,,„j 
 
 ■n.l U,,,t Hhe tho„«l,t Kosaloon'.s p,.o,3„t.s out of 
 
 '""•""■" '"•" "'""'"«» "-l-l spoi: t„c effect „!• t„„ 
 
 -ly useful t,nA,» t,,e ,ut,e ,iH ,,„,n,e,..,f seleeted 
 But there w„»„„,,e,pf„,n;Ko,.lee„el,o.,e to get 
 
 ''"d to ,,g„ t,.e,„ with their ,„„tn,U nan.e.s. A,„v 
 
 ™ too nmoh afrui,, of H„.>lee„, a,„l too anxio,« 
 
 obout her. to e,.„.» her ,„o..e than was „eces«arv 
 
 Chr,,stn.a.,-day can.e, and the „»ual routine "took 
 place There wa, a merry hreakfa.,t. during which 
 
 oven Rosaleen tried to forget her woe,; then ean,e 
 h^reh and then preparation, to go aeros, to the 
 -nngford, for dinner. And there wa.s a .reat 
 
 dnmer at tlie Carliuo-fords' the t.,l,T • " 
 
 . ^, """""■ ">e table groaning witli 
 every .„,ag.„able Chri.stn.as dainty; and, when the 
 W was at an end, then ea,„e the ti„,e for givin. 
 the pre.,e„t,. There were present, for every one" 
 every one gave every one el»e something, except 
 Amy and Rosaleen. ' 
 
 Poor Amy coloured .slightly when .she .said that 
 tms year she and her little .sister eould only afford 
 presents for the Frere. Her face turned pJe after 
 "^ '1-1. o( ,,n,lc. .She looked down, and te.ars very 
 
ni(ily after 
 «tilcen liad 
 
 1 to pk'USO 
 
 She Iiutl 
 t.s out of 
 act of the 
 f selected, 
 ose to get 
 13 parcels, 
 e.s. Amy 
 > anxious 
 essary. 
 ine took 
 ig" whieli 
 len came 
 s to the 
 •1 f^'reat 
 ng with 
 hen the 
 [' g'iving 
 jy one; 
 except 
 
 ill that 
 ' afford 
 e after 
 ■s N'ery 
 
 A TJ1I;1LL-1X)VVN-V0UI<-|{ACK.' 
 
 851 
 
 nearly canie to her eyes. She di.l not at all like 
 the position; but she felt she must say somelhiiif; 
 to account for the absence of presents for the diffeivnt 
 Carlingfords. 
 
 Roaaleen, however, interrupted poor Amy's diffident 
 and apolo;:,'eiic speech. 
 
 ' It 'h best to be true,' she said. ' As far as possible, 
 
 everybody ought to be true; that is what I thiidc. 
 
 I win tell the truth about tlie Christmas-boxes. \V,. 
 
 had only seven and six between us, and tlie monev 
 
 was all Amy's. I'll say why; j dont mind, i 
 
 spent mine; I spent it on all kinds of useless things. 
 
 Si.\pcnce of Amy's seven and sixpence got lost; I 
 
 won't tell how, 'cos that's a secret. Out of seven 
 
 shillings we could oidy buy for om- people; so we 
 
 only bought for our own people. That's all. But 
 
 there's another reason too. I don't like any of the 
 
 Carlingfords, except Fred; and if I had money of 
 
 my own, I wouldn't buy any presents for them.' 
 
 'Hush ! hush, Rosaleen ! You are a very rude little 
 girl,' said her father. He went up to her, took her 
 down from a stool on which she had mounted to 
 make her very naughty little harangue, and, takino- 
 her hand, presently drew her to sit on his knee. 
 
 'Are you very angry with me, father?' whispered 
 Rosaleen. 
 
 'Hurt,' he said — 'hurt a go. d d(>al.' 
 
4 : 
 w > 
 
 1' 
 
 I ;' i 
 
 ■ 
 
 ) I lit 
 
 352 
 
 ' A THiiir.r.-nnwN-vmiii-BACK.' 
 
 •01, father! nevor ,„i„.V ,.,,,„,,, ,j„^,,^^,„ 
 help ,„y fod,„»s, and I ,„„,t bo l,„„cst ' 
 
 I mil ,s,K.ak to you abuut it presently' 
 
 No one at tl.at Chri,t,„a.s fe„.,t looked more 
 cl.annn.g than Nina. Her boanty .„.,„„, ^ ;„! 
 ore- every ti,„e »be can,e hon,e. She «™ a very 
 
 .park e and vigour and g„. but it wa. a,» f„„ 
 o nobd.ty and power. More than onee rf,e looked 
 aw. ..tfnlly at her little e„en,y. Why did tW 
 JJaik Rosaleen hate her so much? 
 
 The Dark R«-lee„ for a lon</ tin,e retoed to 
 a no„ded,e the «,a„ce., whieh Nina bestowed „,»„ 
 her. She .aw those glances very well, but she 
 always turned her head aside. Nina was wonderin. 
 how he „ break through the spel, which divided 
 ner irom tlie little girl. 
 
 ■For. in reality.' sl.e said to he,.elf, 'we ought to 
 be r,ends. VVe have a great deal in con.n.on. It 
 
 an ho,, have such strong feelings against „e. 
 
 them- """'" '"■""'' *'"' ' ™™°' "^^'O^^ 
 
 As the day went c-, Rosaleen began to think of 
 
en. 'I am 
 t I cannot 
 
 ; 'but not 
 eech ; but 
 
 <ed more 
 L'd to in- 
 18 a very 
 only full 
 also full 
 >e looked 
 ' did tlie 
 
 tused to 
 ed upon 
 but she 
 Jnderinor 
 divided 
 
 u^ht to 
 ion. It 
 than I 
 ist me. 
 ercome 
 
 ink of 
 
 'A TIIIMLF.|u>WN-V<)l'K-HA('K,' ,^53 
 
 the evenii.^r. shu nnist .slip away .sunicJiow ; sha 
 muHt see the gipsy woman. 
 
 The rest of the faniily .sat down co.sily to talk 
 about the fancy ball. It wa.s .still twelve dav.s off— 
 none too long for the prepai-ation.s which must takv 
 place before its arrival. Of course, the grand sub- 
 ject of di.scussion was dress— what dre.s.s should each 
 of the children wear i 
 
 liosaleen .said in her usual .shaip, defiant vdIcc : 
 'I am going to bo a gipsy, and I will dress as a 
 
 As thi.s was not at all a remarkable co.stume, 
 nobody commented much about it. It was the 
 universal opinion that Rosaleen would look very 
 well in her gip.sy character, llie other dresses were 
 to be more out of the common. NAna .said she would 
 be a Snow Qu.en. She would I 'all in white with 
 little flakes of cott(m wool all over her, to imi ate 
 falling snow; and her long, thick hair was to fall 
 about her shoulders, and .she wouM wear a star of 
 diamonds just over her brow. She would make a 
 beautiful Snow Queen, so fair and dehcate was her 
 comple.xion, so very blue her eyes. 
 
 Every one applauded this suggestion; and then 
 Prudence said she would go as Moonlight, and 
 Patience as the universal Shepherdess with her 
 Crook. Fred and Peach were to go as the little 
 
 Ihe Odds and the Evens. 
 
 W 
 
.'{.") i 
 
 ' A THUlLL-J)()WN-YOUIl-nAt!K.' 
 
 He an.l Sl„. i„ t|,„ ,„„„ „,„, i^^^,^ ^^^^,^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ 
 
 pmr. .u„l tl,o i.lea w,,., ,„„ch .|,plH,u|,,l. The m!, 
 boy., were t„ „p,K„„, ,„„. „, ,,,„„.,,., j^ ^,,^ ^^^^^ _^ 
 tho Black K„,Vl,t i„ nu„n.e; wLoroas A,„y, ,.ft„,. ,. 
 
 «roat ck.al of e.,ns„ltati„„, u„nou„ce,l I,.,- i„tonti,>„ 
 
 to go iw a little Spoiling Mar,,,, 
 
 'I will; ™,1 A,„y; •! „,„ dotorn,i,u.,l. I !<„„„ 
 
 tl- «.rt they arc fro,,, th„ piet,,,,, „f t,,„ „„,„^„ 
 
 ;vl,o used to keep da.ne.scl.ool,; a„,| I'll d,-o,s 
 
 .i"»t iii<e o,.„„, „„,i I,, ,,„,, ^ p^^^ j_.^___;^ 
 
 •spolhag-book f.8tc.,K.<l on „,y right side, and I'll 
 have a bird, rod in u,y right hand. Til enjoy it 
 
 awfully. J J ^ 
 
 The „the,-s laughed at Amy's funny idea, and on 
 the whole appi'ovod of her choice. 
 
 So the happy hou,.» p^,,,ed by; and e. , R,,„dee„ 
 forgo her ange,- and her wicked thought.,, and 
 joined .„ the di.,cu,,io„ with the rest. Hy„,„,, were 
 hen »„„g--pretty, suitable cu,„l.,-i„ the hall, Mrs 
 ^arbngford playing the o,.ga„ as only .,he knew how 
 But Rosaleen was watching the clock. About seven 
 och,ck she thought that the gipsy Flo,,,,el would 
 appear at the end of their own garden Whatever 
 happened, .she must slip away. She bad .just reached 
 the door leading into the outer hall when Fred ran 
 alter her. 
 
 STf" 
 
I' to (Irt'HH 
 I' u pretty 
 The elder 
 other as 
 ly, after n 
 intention 
 
 I know 
 
 *i women 
 
 'II dress 
 
 from a 
 
 and I'll 
 
 enjoy it 
 
 , and on 
 
 Rosfileen 
 its, and 
 ns were 
 all, Mrs 
 3w how. 
 it seven 
 won Id 
 hatever 
 I'caelicd 
 'ed ran 
 
 'A THriM.I.-DoWN VM-iMtAcK/ ;jr,r, 
 
 'Won't you come ui^tairs/ h,. Haid, 'ri<,dit np i„ 
 our attic, and let's have a ri.irht cosy tall- r 
 
 'I can't to-ni-ht. husband. I have other things 
 to do,' replied Uosaleen. 
 
 ' But where are von o-oiiio- ? ' 
 'That's nothin<r to von.' 
 'It is. for I am your hushand,' said Fred. 
 'But you're only my play-hushand ; and ,I„n't 
 forg«t the new marriage service-hushands, ohcN.' 
 'Oh, that's all nonsense,' replied Fred. 'What is 
 
 up to-night i I see that you ' 
 
 'If you spy,' said Rosaleen, ' if you watch me an.l 
 make any remark, I'll n.ver forgive yon, and I'll 
 lead you such a life! At the fancy I all I'll be 
 for ever taunting and teasing you. You don't know 
 what I'll do. You had better let mo alone.' 
 
 ' Perhaps I had,' said Fred. ' But do tell me where 
 you arc going? Don't bu so cross, Hosaleen. I 
 really wish you wov^HM't.' 
 
 He had scarcely said the words before Nina walked 
 slowly past. She paused for a nioment. 
 
 'By the way, Rosaleen,' said Nina, 'would you 
 like me to tell you a story ? I will tell you and 
 Fred and Peach a lovely new story which I have 
 just heard. Will you come to mother's little boudoir ? 
 It's so cosy there.' 
 
 Rosaleen looked wistful for a moment. Nina's 
 
 ! i\ 
 
 < 
 
i :; 
 
 f 
 
 35(J 
 
 •a 'Hiiaij,-H(iwN-v(>i;u-uACK.' 
 
 Th, 
 
 voice had hucI. .s,,iL inlloctions in it. i h,.,v was 
 .soniethin^r so ^^eiitlo ana winnincr in it, too; and just 
 l\n- an instant hur firm, con.lo.tin^' lian.l was laid on 
 the littlo girl's shouMur. But tho next moment the 
 old hatred spran<T up. 
 'No, no!' cried Rosaleen. 
 
 'Yes!' said Fred. 'Yes! Do come, Rose— do 
 come.' 
 
 'I will, if 
 
 •If what?' asked Nina. 
 
 'If you'll wait for half-an-hour.' 
 
 'Oh, I'll do that. I don't mind. But why should 
 I wait for Imli'-an-hour ? ' 
 
 'I can't tell you. You had better not ask me. 
 If you '11 wait for lialf-an-hour. and if I am success- 
 ful, I '11 come.' 
 
 ' Successful ? ' said Nina. 
 
 'Yes; and it's nothing to you,' cried Rosaleen 
 angrily. 'If I am successful I'll come back in half- 
 an-hour.' 
 
 Nina's face looked quite sad. 
 
 'Of course I'll wait. Rose,' she said. 'I would 
 do more than that to win you.' 
 
 'You'll never, never win me,' tlmught Rosalcn 
 to herself. She walked away; she could not attempt 
 to go out of the house while the others were watch- 
 ing her, But they were all too busy, too happy. 
 
); and just 
 vm laid on 
 loinent the 
 
 Roso — do 
 
 ' A THIULh-DOWN-YOl'U-UACK.' 
 
 857 
 
 liy Hhoiild 
 
 ask me. 
 a succeas- 
 
 Rosaleen 
 i in lialf- 
 
 I would 
 
 Rosalecn 
 i attempt 
 'e watch- 
 3 happy, 
 
 to wastu tiuio on tliu Dark Rosalcen ; and pivsontly 
 who was able to slip away, lur littlo red liood over 
 her head and her fur cloak round }>er shoulders. 
 She had suftert(d too mueh from her imprudence of 
 a few ni^dits back to atteui^jt to go out attain with- 
 out l)eing properly clothed. Ibr goloshes protected 
 her feet; she ran across tlie street, lifted the lateh, 
 and found herself in their own garden. It did not 
 (aUo her many minutt-s to run to the end of it. The 
 snow was .still over everythin,<,r ; the niglit was bitterly 
 cold. There were millions of stars overhead ; tin; 
 moon, a beautiful new crescent moon, was comin^r 
 softly up in the sky. The very peact) of the atmo- 
 .sphere — for there was not a breath of wind an}-- 
 whei-e— soothed the cliild. Everything was so still 
 that she scarcely felt the biting cold. Slie wrapped 
 her little cloak about her ; the colour tiamed in 
 her cheeks from the cold air. She looked over the 
 snowy Held. Should she fail ? Should she succeed ? 
 Oh, if only .she could put all things right on this 
 blessed Christmas-night — the night after Christ, the 
 Prince of Peace, was born ! It seemed too dreadful 
 to hate any one then. 
 
 ' If I could succeed, I think I might even be a 
 little friendly to Nina,' she said to herself; 'at any 
 rate I 'd be friendly to her for a bit. Oh, if I fail ! 
 But, hark ! what sound was th.at ? ' Rosaleen's heart 
 
 i 
 
 \ .. 
 
fin I* ■ 
 
 »;l '; 
 
 illli 
 
 II 
 
 35« 'A TllUILL-|),,ux-v«)Ui;-BACK.' 
 
 be.t fast Was Fionh.l goi„, to ho kind to her at 
 ast? Was Flo.ib.l ,oi„, to be .ealiy faithful to 
 her prouuse? Was she o-oing to return the money '^ 
 Rosaloen bent her little dark face eagerly forward 
 ^es, yes. ^t ^vas true ! it was true ! At last, at Ion-, 
 i^nd last, Floribel was faithful to her word. She saw 
 i>^r con„ng swinging .cross tbe field, her sprin^u 
 .^tep arresting the child's attention, fascinatin<. her 
 oyes. Floribel came straiglit up to her. 
 
 'You have come,' said Kosaleen almost under her 
 breath, 'and you have brought the sovereio-n?' 
 
 'What a fuss you did make, to be sure, Tbout that 
 iittle drop of money ! ' answered the gipsy ' Fes I 
 have brought it back at last.' 
 
 ' Oh ! you have ; and-and the sixpence ? ' said the 
 child. 
 
 'The sixpence too.' 
 
 . ' Oh, you 're a darling i ' cried Rosaleen. ' You have 
 
 ^aven me awful pain, Floribel; but-but I love y<.„ 
 now.' "^ 
 
 'Don't. I don't want you to,' said Floribol in a 
 'Slow tone. 
 
 'You don't want me to love you?' 
 
 'No; better not. Don't love gipsies; they're a 
 queer lot. They're not certain; you can never be 
 «ui-e of 'em. You worried me, and I have br .u^ht 
 you b:.ek the gold. Here it is,' 
 
 i ! 
 
' A THRILL-D<)\VN-V()UH-I5ACK.' 
 
 85<) 
 
 to her at 
 aitliful to 
 le money? 
 Y forward. 
 't, at ]onnr 
 
 8he Haw 
 I- springy 
 ating her 
 
 nder her 
 n?' 
 
 )oiit that 
 'Yes, I 
 
 said the 
 
 on have 
 "il in a 
 
 y J-e a 
 vor 1)0 
 
 'rolirrJlt 
 
 As she spoke she slipped whnt seemed to bo a 
 genuine soverei<,'n into the little giil's hand. 
 
 'And here's your sixpence,' slie continued; 'and 
 now I'm off!' 
 
 ' Won't yoii stay a mom^'nt, Floribel ? I 'm awfully, 
 awfully obliged to you.' 
 
 'You needn't be. I don't want you to,' said 
 Floribel. 'Have nothing to do with us gipsies in 
 the future. There's yc . money. Good-bye.' 
 
 ' Good-bye. How queer you are ! ' said Rosaleen. 
 
 The gipsy made no reply. She turned back as 
 softly as she had come. Her figure danced once 
 more down the snowy path, and disappeared into 
 a dark belt of trees at the farther end. 
 
 Rosaleen stood for a moment gazing at her; then, 
 trembling, she opened her little palm and looked at 
 the silver sixpence— a much worn and very thin 
 sixpence it was— and the bright gold sovereign. 
 The .sovereign was new enough. It looked beauti- 
 ful; the tender rays of the young moon seemed to 
 gleam on it. Rosaleen had heard that it was lucky 
 to turn your money when the moon was new ; she 
 turned her sovereign now, and her sixpence, and 
 she said to henielf: 
 
 'Oh, I am a happy girl! I am a 'lappy girl! 
 And I am so grateful to God for takino- awn.^^ the 
 load from my heart. Oh, I am a very happy girl!' 
 
 mimcimmfii 
 
 msi 
 
MO 
 
 'A Tni!I!.I,-|)()\v\-V(>(;iMiACK.' 
 
 ir ' 
 
 I > t 
 
 H-' 
 
 Mm 
 
 f-i i 
 
 kil . 
 
 FIfs* 
 
 She went slowly back to the liuuso. 
 'It was mean of me to go out on the sly; but 
 ^ I'll never do nothing mean aoain,' slie said to her- 
 self. 'I'll always be good in the future-always 
 and always. Amy shall have her sixpence to-night, 
 and father shall ha\ e his sovereign back, and h^e '11 
 never know that his Rosaleeu was a thief. Oh, I 
 urn so happy! I am so glad it has happened on 
 Christmas-night.' 
 
 No one saw Rosaleon go out of the Carlingfords' 
 house, and no one saw her return. She ran swiftly 
 upstairs to Peach's room, hastily flung off her out- 
 door things, brushed out her hai-, gaze.l for an instant 
 at her bright reflection in the glass, and then ran 
 downstairs. 
 
 'Where's Nina?' she shouted in a voice of such 
 glee and happiness that every one started, for it 
 seemed to be the echo of Rosaleen's old voice 
 before the great fight began. 'Where's Nina? 
 I want her. I am in the humour to hear lovely 
 stories.' 
 
 'Here I am, darling,' cri..d Nina, putting her 
 bright face out of the di-awing-room door. 
 
 'Then come to your mother's boudoir right away, 
 Nir.a,' said Rosaleen. 'I want to listen to your 
 stories. Be sure you make 'em wonderfully biting, 
 wonderfully qu,.,.,., .v,),l wondorfnlly creepy.' 
 
A ■iiiicii.i, :.uwx-Yor'; i'.ack.' 
 
 no I 
 
 «ly ; but 
 i\ to her- 
 — always 
 
 to-night, 
 find ho '11 
 I Oh, I 
 )ened on 
 
 UngfordH* 
 I swiftly 
 her out- 
 1 instant 
 hen ran 
 
 of such 
 
 ', for it 
 
 d voice 
 
 Nina? 
 
 ■ lovely 
 
 ng her 
 
 'j awny, 
 
 your 
 
 biting, 
 
 'Oil dear! oh dear!' ONchiiined all the otlu i' 
 children. 'If there's goiiis; to be story-telling we'll 
 all come too.' 
 
 So Nina, followed by all the rest of the Carling- 
 ford.s, and all the Freres, entered her mother's boudou*. 
 There was a bright lire in the grate, but there was 
 no other light. This was just as it should be. Tlie 
 story-toller was cnsconc(.d in a big arm-chair, and 
 the otner children sat round her. Rosaleeii flung 
 herself where the light from the flames shone all 
 over her little person. 
 
 'Oh, I am so happy!' she cried. 
 
 ' Happy ? ' said Amy, looking at her in surprise. 
 
 Rosaleen stretched out her hand and pulled her 
 little sister close. 
 
 ' Don't tell ; but I 've got your sixpence,' she 
 whispered. 
 
 Amy looked relieved. She was penniless at the 
 moment, and even the thought of sixpence was 
 supporting. 
 
 'Now, let's listen,' said Rosaleen. 'I'm very 
 hajipy. I 'm going to be awfully good for the future, 
 Amy. I 'm going to be better than you,' 
 
 'I hope so,' replied Amy, a sceptical note in her 
 voice. 
 
 'Oh, you needn't doubt me; I am. Now, please, 
 Nina, make it very exciting ; all about ghosts.' 
 
362 
 
 ' A THHILL-DOVVN-YOUR-UACK.' 
 
 na n 
 
 \i'' 
 
 h I 
 
 'No, no! don't; .said Fred. 
 
 •No! don't; ecl.ood Amy, 'I hate those ghost- 
 stories; 
 
 'I want an awful one; said Rosaleen. 'I want 
 to have thrills down my back. That 's the sort of 
 story I like. Tell us one of the th rills-down- jour- 
 back stories. I won't listen to any other sort, 
 Nina.' 
 
 Nina laughed. She would do a good deal to 
 please Rosaleen, but she did not want to frighten 
 the others. 
 
 'Let me tell my own story my own way; she 
 said; and then she began to speak. 
 
 She told the story well, and it turned out to be 
 
 an exciting one; and even Rosaleen was liapny 
 
 One story was followed by another; and Rosaleen 
 
 in her excitement, crept close up to Nina, and before 
 
 the story-telling time had come to an end her small 
 
 thm little hand was lying in Nina's lap. And Nina' 
 
 in spite of herself, scarcely knowing that she did 
 
 so, laid her snow-white hard on the little brown 
 
 one and held it tioht. 
 
 Was Christmas-night really going to bring the 
 two together again? It almost seemed as if it 
 was. 
 
 Irs., 
 
'A(j'.\ 
 
 >se ghost- 
 
 ' I want 
 le sort of 
 )wn-your- 
 her sort, 
 
 I deal to 
 frigliten 
 
 t'ay,' she 
 
 'Ut to be 
 happy. 
 Elosaloen, 
 (i before 
 or snjall, 
 id Nina, 
 she did 
 > brown 
 
 ing the 
 3 if it 
 
 C H A F T E II X X \' 1 1 1. 
 
 THE SOVEREIGN. 
 
 OSALEEN quite lived up to the character 
 she had begun so worthily on Christmas- 
 night. The new role surprised every 
 one, and no one more than Mrs I\ure 
 herself. She was immensely relieved at the change 
 in the cl'.ild, who was now gentle and tlioroughlv 
 obedient. She was industrious, too, and even un- 
 sellisli. In short, she was quite a model Rosa- 
 leen. Her beautiful little face wore a softened 
 air. She often gazed fixedly at her father, uiid 
 her lips moved. At those times she was thanking 
 God for having taken the awful load from her 
 lieart. 
 
 But, nevertheless, happy as she was, slie had not 
 yet found an opportunity of returning the sovereign 
 to her father. It must be done in such a way 
 that, above all tilings, lie should never susp-ct 
 
364 
 
 I !! 
 
 THK SOVEllEION. 
 
 I'or; It nniHt bo done in such a way that no 
 one tor a su,n|o instant sh,.nl<l think that she 
 Hosaleen, had anythino- to do with it. That w.s 
 "one so .asy, for the house in town was not so hi.- 
 us the liouso in the country, and the children had 
 tJ»"n- allotted rooms; a.id as tlus. wci-o holi<hiy 
 times, every one .seemed to know all day long what 
 every one else was doiuir. 
 
 Dr Frere, too. was ealhxl to London to see an old 
 patient, an<l Mrs Frere had ek-ete.] to go witli him • 
 and It so happened that th.) Frere children we.it 
 over to spend the time and skvp at the Carlin..fords' 
 The Carlingfords liad a niueli larger house thin the 
 Freres, and always seemed to have room for any 
 number of young people. 
 
 Rosaleen was so gently disposed towards Nina 
 that she did not object to this arrangement, except 
 in so far a.s it prevented her from returning the 
 sovereign to her father. That sovereign seemed to 
 burn a hole in her pocket. She was nervous about 
 It, notwithstanding Iier happiness. Often in private 
 she took it out to look at it. It was very bright 
 and new; it looked like a sovereign that had come 
 straight from the Mint. Rosaleen borrowed a little 
 piece of wash-leather from one of the servants, and 
 when she was quite alone, and absolutely certain 
 
 
 that 
 
 no 
 
 one would interrupt her, sli 
 
 e used to polish 
 
THE SOVKHEKIN. 
 
 365 
 
 ' that no 
 that slio, 
 That wan 
 lot so biir 
 il'h'cn haxl 
 <J h()li(hiy 
 long wliat 
 
 5ee an old 
 .vith him; 
 I'cn went 
 lingfords'. 
 than tho 
 for any 
 
 i-ds Nina 
 it, excojit 
 ning the 
 aemed to 
 us about 
 1 privuti! 
 Y bn'oht 
 ad comc! 
 
 a little 
 nts, and 
 
 certain 
 polish 
 
 up the sovereign until it slion(! brighter than ever. 
 She knew all about it — all about its superscription 
 — the Queen's hea<l on one side, St George on his 
 tiery steed on tlie othci'. She liked to rub her nails 
 along the milled edge of the piece of gold; she liked 
 to read the date, 1894. Oh ! it was a lovely piece 
 of money, and it was hers to give back to her father 
 again. 
 
 It so happened that, for one reason or another, 
 she was not really able to put the money back into 
 her father's waistcoat-pocket until tlie very day on 
 which the fancy ball was to be held. On that day 
 everything seemed to tnrn to wild confusion in the 
 house. The ball, of course, was to take place in tho 
 Town Hall; and over a hundred children, a great 
 many grown-ups, and some of the fathers of the 
 different families were invited. But, nevertheless, the 
 Freres and the Carlingfords were busy all the time. 
 They had scarcely breathing space : and Rosaleen, if 
 she chose to make herself useful, was appi-eciated for 
 her .services, but if she chose to ab.sent herself fi'oni 
 tlie others no one missed her. 
 
 It was about tho middle of the day when at last 
 her chance canio. Hei- father and mother were out; 
 Amy, Prudence, and Patience were at the Town Plall, 
 helping the Carlingfords with the final decorations 
 for the brilliant scene whieh \v. s in l.ik^ p'- -e that 
 
'.'' ! it 
 
 I u 
 
 366 
 
 THE SOVEUEION. 
 
 evening. Rosaleen was a,skc<l i. oo with tl.o othe.-.s, 
 . but .she had managed to excuse herself. 
 
 'I mn a bit tired; slie sai.l to Amy. 'I']] h.^ve n 
 l«'t of dancing to do to-night, so I think I'll rest- 
 that is, if you don't want me very much.' 
 
 ' You certainly don't look tired,' replied Amy ' I 
 never saw any one look stronger, nor have a brighter 
 
 colour; but of course if you wish to be' 
 
 ' No, I am not selfish,' interrupted Rosaleen. ' Some 
 day-some day I '11 tell you why I cannot go with 
 you now.' 
 
 She looked mysterious, and yet her eyes were full 
 of softness. 
 
 'I am awfully happy,' she cried. 'Am I keepinrr 
 
 up my character ? Am I still a very good girl ? ' " 
 
 'You have been so awfully j^ood the last ten days' 
 
 replied Amy, ' that I someti.ues have not known whal 
 
 to make of you. I have been even frightened ' 
 
 'You think, perhaps, I am one of those too good 
 girls who die early ? ' said Rosaleen. 
 
 ' No ; you are not as good as all that,' replied 
 Amy 'You have only been good a very short time. 
 What I am afraid of is that it will not last, and 
 that you'll be awfully wicked by-and-by-as a sort 
 of relief, you know.' 
 
 'No; that's not me,' said Rosaleen. 'I am a very 
 good and happ,- girl. I ,„ the sort that is good 
 
THE SOVFREION. 
 
 367 
 
 tile others, 
 
 '11 hav(3 a 
 ['11 rest- 
 Amy. ' I 
 i brigliter 
 
 1. ' Some 
 go with 
 
 were full 
 
 keeping 
 girl ? ' 
 an days,' 
 wn what 
 led.' 
 :oo good 
 
 replied 
 )rt time, 
 ast, and 
 i a sort 
 
 a very 
 is good 
 
 when I'm happy and had when I'm miserable. You 
 all try to keep uie happy ; tliat '.s what yon tliree 
 liave got to do. You and the Carlinglords had 
 better see that the Dark Rosaleen is stufiV-d full 
 of happiness, and then she '11 be awi'ully nice ; Init 
 if yon empty me of all my joys I '11 be horrid — 
 I'll be full of bad things— full— full— full. There 
 now, you know. Go and amuse yourself ; make the 
 hall lovely. Think how beautifnl the Dark Rosaleen 
 will look there to-night.' 
 
 'Yon are the queere.st little girl,' exclaimed Amy. 
 
 ' I 'm not queerer than you,' replied Rosaleen. 
 ' Whoever heard of such a character as you are 
 going to choose — a little Spelling Marm ? And that 
 poke-bo»'net — oh, it will make you look so funny ! ' 
 
 'Never mind,' replied Amy. 'It's unselfish of me 
 to make myself into a figure of fun. I am doing it 
 in the cause that I have nearest my heart.' 
 
 ' You certainly are faithful to the cause of spelling,' 
 said Rosaleen. ' Now then, ofi' you go.' 
 
 Amy lan off with her two sisters, and Rosaleen 
 softly clapped her hands. 
 
 ' Now — now 1 ' she said to herself ; ' now, darling, 
 beautiful sovereign ! you are goini^ back to father ; 
 and Rosaleen — the Dark Rosaleen — is a thief no 
 longi'r.' 
 
 She stood for a moment, watchiiig the reti'(^ating 
 
 Wf J1 1 1 « W LI II JWU H III* w -w 
 
368 
 
 .!> 
 
 I i 
 
 f I 
 
 ilii.'! 
 
 THK SOVERKIQN. 
 
 fiSures. at tho window; then she took the 8overei<.n 
 out of her pocket and hooked at it, t],en el.uspej 
 ■t t,Khtly in he,- wann little hand; and, re.novin. 
 I»'>' «hoe8 in case any one shonid hear her ereopinr 
 "pstairs, she went softly o„ to the Hoor where the 
 best bedrooiijs wore situated. 
 
 The diildren's roonm were in a distant wing, where 
 de,af old nurse was supposed to be even now putting 
 the final touehes to R„.,aleen'8 gipsy costume. The 
 .-est of the servants were in the downstairs premi-ses. 
 Ko.,a leen had the whole wide landing to herself. 
 She looked to right of her-to left of her. There 
 was not a sound ; no moment couid be better for 
 her purpose. She stole softly into tho large bedroom 
 oecup,e,I l,y her father and mother. One of her 
 difficulties in putting back the money had been that 
 the only way to her fathers dressing-room was 
 through th.s big bedroom, and that Mrs Frere was 
 m the habit of being in and out of this room all 
 Jay long at any hour or at any moment 
 
 Rosaleen ran lightly acre.ss it, and opened the door 
 of the dre.,,,i„g.room. It was a small roon,, neatly 
 urn,shed. There was a wardrobe in one corne,^ 
 Kosaleen opened it. Into which of her father's 
 waistcoats or coats should she ,lrop the precious 
 com? After a minute or two of hesitation, she 
 deeded to put it into a black - ribbed wai.,teoat 
 
le sovereign 
 lien clasped 
 1, reuiovinor 
 er creeping 
 where the 
 
 ving, where 
 ow putting 
 ume. The 
 s premises. 
 to herself, 
 er. There 
 better for 
 e bedroom 
 le of her 
 
 been that 
 •oom was 
 Frere was 
 
 room all 
 
 the door 
 
 m, neatly 
 
 e corner. 
 
 father's 
 
 precious 
 tion, she 
 vvuistcuut 
 
 RI«K 
 
..^ 
 
 ■■ 'Pouk . ut, missy ; yoi, were after no k..,„I, I '11 )„, i,„u„d,. 
 
 Pag K 369 
 
THK .soVEHKlUN. 
 
 :J6!) 
 
 m 
 
 
 ^. 
 
 mild.' 
 
 Page 369 
 
 which she had seen her fathi-i wejirinL' tlmt vtrv 
 morn i ML,'. 
 
 •It is )i warm waistcoat, and tho days are cold,' 
 she thou'^lit. *l[(! will put it (ai, and he will find 
 his darlintr Hovcrei^m, and ho will never, never think 
 of me.' 
 
 So, kiHsinrj the sovcroiirn once with htr rosy lips, 
 Hhe droi)pod it into the waistcoat; then slu.' patted 
 tho waistcoat, and Haid, 'Good little pocket, you are 
 holding the soveroi^ni wliich prevents tho Dark 
 Rosaleen heing a thief any lontror;' and then slio 
 softly shut tho wnrdrobe door and the door of 
 the dressing-room, an<l ran into her mother's room. 
 She thought, of course, that she would find the 
 room empty, but was rather dismayed to see old 
 nurse pottering about there, opening some of her 
 mistress's drawers, and taking out a lot of old 
 linen. 
 
 ' Eh, dear ! ' said nurse when she saw Rosaleen, 
 ' what are you doing, missy ? ' 
 
 ' Nothing. It 's no aftiiir of yours,' replied Rosaleen, 
 Hushing up crim.son. 
 
 ' Eh ? I didn't hear you, love. What were you 
 doing in your father's dressing-room? Speak out, 
 missy ; you were after no good, I '11 be bound.' 
 
 'I'm Jift.r every good, you horrid old thing!' sail 
 Rosaleen, forgetting all prudence in her sudden, 
 
 The Odd.s 1111(1 the Kvt'iis. v 
 
'm 
 
 if " 
 
 ' ■ J'i 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 370 
 
 THE SOVEREIGN. 
 
 unreasonable ano-er af flm r.}A 
 
 on.i. . "^ '^'''"''" appearing at 
 
 such an inopportune moment. 
 
 Old nurse looked her up and down. 
 
 ' I say you are after no good,' she repeated. ' What 
 7". ^°" '°^"^' ^'1 V yourself in your father's 
 dressmg-room, I'd like to know. Yo. 're a little 
 piece of misclnef ; you're a cross-patch-that', what 
 you are. 
 
 'Stop talking, or I'll p„„, y„„ „„, „j ^^^ ^^^_^ 
 Ba.d E„.,alee„. a,„„,t beside l,e,.elf with passion. 
 Alas! and alas! j„.t at the very moment -the 
 erownmg n.on.ent of her bli.,, she had given way 
 ungovernable temper. The old won,a„ had enraged 
 he. She stood turning Hr,,t red and then pL 
 lookmg stra,ght into the fa^e of the old nurse. Old 
 n..r»e gave a scornful laugh. She had not held 
 Ro.saleen m her arms a, a baby for nothing; she 
 no »ore mh^ed her tant™,,., as she called them 
 
 face. Movmg towards the door, she said in a 
 
 stern voice: 
 
 -You had better come and see if that red skirt is 
 to your hkm,,v. Queer outlandish tastes you have ' 
 
 And Rosaleen. cooling down after her fit of p„,,si„n. 
 thought she could not do better than follow her 
 She went up to tl>e nursery, which was never used 
 •""V hy the children, with the „!,, won.an. and sub- 
 
THK SOVEREION. 
 
 ippearing at 
 
 ted. 'What 
 )ur father's 
 're a little 
 that's what 
 
 the room/ 
 th passion, 
 nent — the 
 given way 
 ad enraged 
 then pale, 
 urse. Old 
 
 not held 
 hing; she 
 lied them ' 
 it in her 
 aid in a 
 
 d skirt is 
 u have.' 
 F passion, 
 How her. 
 >ver used 
 and sub- 
 
 mitted to having her red skirt tried 
 
 
 371 
 
 on ; and after- 
 wards she sat down and began to talk to her, trying 
 to make amen-ls for the angry words she had used 
 during her fit of rage. 
 
 But if Nurse Myers ha.l one fault more than 
 anuthcr, it was that of inoi-diiiat • curiosity. She 
 was not very angry with Rosalecn when she Hew 
 into a passion with iier, but she was extremely 
 desirous to know what the little girl could have 
 been doing in her father's dressing-room. Accord- 
 ingly, fixing her with her deep-.set, pierciiig black 
 eyes, she said in a persua.sive voice: 
 
 •And now, ha.hi't you best tell old nursy?' 
 'There's nothing to tell,' replied Rosaleen. 
 •Oh! don't you talk to me. 1 know better.' 
 'There's not anythir)g. Why shouldn't I be in 
 my own father's dressing-room if I like?' 
 
 • You ought not to be spying and prying, that 's all 
 I can say,' remarked nurse. ' And now, you look here. 
 Don't you think for a single minute that I'm going 
 to be afeared of you. I'll just keep my eyes opei^ 
 and my ears- what's left of 'em— and I'll find out 
 what's up— so there.' 
 
 'You'll do an awful lot of mischief,' said Rosaleen, 
 really frightened at last. 'You don't know what 
 mischief you'll do. You'll turn me into a bad, bad 
 girl. Does that matter ^ 
 
li , ' 
 
 ' I 
 
 ^^^^^^B 1. 
 
 » 1 
 
 
 J i , 
 
 ^Hl' \iiL 
 
 ill ilijii 
 
 jna 
 
 372 
 
 THE SOVEREIGN. 
 
 'Folly!' cried nurse. «I suppose I know how to 
 manage children. Haven't I handled them all my 
 days ? Don't you talk nonsense to me, little missy. 
 Now then, turn round; I hope this skirt will fit 
 now. I've no patience with those sort of dances, 
 everybody making figures of fun of themselves.' 
 
 The rest of Rosaleen's afternoon was a thoroughly 
 unhappy one; but there was worse to follow, "she 
 got auay from nurse after about an hour, havir.g 
 utterly failed to put the old woman off the scent 
 Her very nose seemed to twitch as if she meant 
 to smell out that secret before she had done with 
 it; and she went downstairs now, ostensibly to put 
 away the linen which she had mended, but in 
 reality to go into her master's dressing-room and see 
 if there were any traces whatever of that naughty 
 child's mischief afoot. She could find out nothing, 
 and went back to her own quarters more curious 
 than ever. « Missy had not been herself for some 
 time; missy would not stay away from the fun if 
 she hadn't a deep reason on foot. Missy was after 
 no good.' These were her thoughts. 
 
 Rosaleen, however, in the course of the evening, 
 with the great excitement of putting on lier gipsy 
 dress before her, forgot even nurse. After all, what 
 could nurse discover? Father had a sovereign in 
 his pocket, which In. had not that morning; but 
 
THE SOVRIIEKJN. 
 
 373 
 
 low how to 
 iem all my 
 little missy. 
 :irfc will fit 
 
 of dances, 
 iselves.' 
 
 thorouglily 
 )llow. Slio 
 )ur, haviiiir 
 
 the scent. 
 
 she meant 
 
 done with 
 bly to put 
 d, but in 
 )in and see 
 it naughty 
 it nothing-, 
 re curious 
 
 for some 
 the fun if 
 
 was after 
 
 3 evening, 
 
 lier gipsy 
 
 all, what 
 
 'ereign in 
 
 ling; but 
 
 how could that fact bo (raced to Rosaleen ? Oh : 
 surely everything was all ri<rht. 
 
 Nurse herself came down, and also Mrs Frere's 
 maid, to dress the giiis ; and Rosaleen made a very 
 radiant little gipsy, with lier black hair falling a])out 
 her shoulders, a .ow of rod coral beads keeping it 
 in position, many rows of beads of all colours round 
 her neck, a little white chemisette showing just 
 below, an<l then a bhick velvet bodice and a very 
 full red skirt. She wore black stockings and red 
 shoes, and looked altogether as piquant a little gipsy 
 as could be found in the length and breadth of the 
 land. 
 
 Amy was delightful in her poke-bonnet and little 
 old-fashioned dress, with her birch-rod hancrin- to 
 her arm, and her spelling-book— her sign manual- 
 fastened adroitly to the front of her dreos. Amy 
 tried to look severe, and had purchased a pair of 
 spectacles for the purpose. 
 
 'I'll put them on now and then,' she said; 'not 
 always.' 
 
 The spectacles were made of clear glass, which 
 did not interfere with her vision, and gave her 
 just the comical look which Rosaleen delighted 
 in. Amy was standing in front of her little sister, 
 who was uttering peals of laughter, and was trying 
 to reprove her, when Prudence, in her Moonlight 
 
 
!.i 
 
 iliJI 
 
 M 
 
 i^ 
 
 2.J1 
 
 a74 
 
 THE SOVKKEION. 
 
 dress of black net bespangled with silver stars, cnuw. 
 in. Amy was just about to ercclaim at the prettiness 
 of Prudence's dress, when a look at her elder sister's 
 i'ace caused her to stop. 
 ' Why, what 's the matter now ? ' she said. 
 'Nothing much; replied Prudence; 'but father has 
 discovered such a (ju.ei- tiling. He has just been 
 • lown to tell us. He is awfully angry about it.' 
 'Wliat in tlie world can it bo?' said Amy. 
 Ro.salecn di.l not speak. Ha 1 that awful old nurse 
 betniyed iier ? Had she discovered? But liow could 
 she ! It was impossible. 
 
 Rosaleen made a pirouette on her small, pointed 
 toes, and came up to Prurience and said: 
 
 'You look very pretty, Prue ; but if there's any- 
 thing of a bother, hadn't we Letter wait till the 
 morninof ? ' 
 
 'Oh, it's not a bother to any of us,' answered 
 Prudence; 'but still, it is distinctly annoying. Do 
 you know that there have been a lot of fabe coins 
 circulated in the tovvn lately, and ever so many 
 people have been Jiad up by the police in conse- 
 quence ? They are most anxious to find the coiners. 
 They have got no clue yet; and— what do you 
 think ?— father cannot make out who has done it. 
 He says it must be an enemy. He put his liand 
 into l;;,s ^^ ai.stcoat-pocket this afternoon; he said he 
 
THE .S()VKKKl(}>f. 
 
 375 
 
 er stars, canui 
 
 tho prettinoss 
 
 elder sister's 
 
 sai(i. 
 
 nt t*M,th(M' has 
 
 as just been 
 
 about it.' 
 
 Amy. 
 
 ful old nur.se 
 
 ut liow could 
 
 mall, pointed 
 
 there's any- 
 xtilt till the 
 
 IS,' answered 
 iioying. Do 
 f false coins 
 or so many 
 :e in conse- 
 
 tho coinoi-s. 
 lat do you 
 las done it. 
 it his liand 
 
 he said ho 
 
 hud changed his waistcoat in the middle of the 
 day, but put it on again to go and see some patients, 
 because it is the warmest one he has. When ho 
 put his hand into his pocket he drew out one of 
 tiit-se false sovereigns. Who in tlie woiM can havu 
 put it there ? Why, poor father miglit have got into 
 trouble about it.' 
 
 'Into trouble?' said Rosaleen. IT.i lips were very 
 white; she .sat down suddenly on the nearest chair. 
 
 ' Yes, of course. How queer you are, Rosaleen ! 
 Aren't you well?' 
 
 'Oh yes, I'm quite well,' replied Rosaleen. 'Is 
 father very angry al)out the queer false sovereign?' 
 she continued. Her voice sounded far away to her- 
 self. 
 
 'Yes, he is awfully angry,' said Prudence. 'He 
 is absolutely determined to find out who has played 
 him such a horrid trick. He says he is going to 
 speak to every single individual in the house to- 
 morrow. Who coidd have done it? Fancy serving 
 father like that! And he could have sworn he had 
 no money at all in that waistcoat - pocket this 
 morning. Who could have done it ? ' 
 
 Somebody called Prudonc' at that moment, tuv\ 
 she ran out of the room. 
 
 'The carriage will be round directly,' she said as 
 she did so. 'Are you both ready?' 
 

 !i]. 
 
 if, . - 
 
 I If j 
 
 I'il J 
 
 376 
 
 THE SOVEIiEKiX. 
 
 ' Yes ; quite,' answered Amy. 
 
 Rosaleen got up, went to a dUaut part of the 
 room, and pretended to search for something in one 
 of her wardrobe drawers. 
 
 The moment Prudence left the room Amy began 
 to speak. 
 
 'What an awful shame this is!' she cried. 'Why 
 -who knows ?_perhaps father might be arrested 
 and put in prison for having false money on his 
 person. I don't know whether he would or not; 
 but there are such awful stories about coiners. To 
 think that there should be a lot of coiners here 
 in this quiet little town; it does seem extraoi-di- 
 nary.* 
 
 She foand herself talking to the empty air, for 
 Rosaleen had left the room. 
 
 ' How queer of Rose not to be more interested ! ' 
 thought Amy; but the excitement of the present 
 moment was too great, and she forgot all about the 
 sovereign when, a short time later, she found herself 
 whirling with her three sisters in the direction of 
 the Town Hall. 
 
part of the 
 3thing in one 
 
 i Amy began 
 
 377 
 
 cried. ' Why 
 be arrested 
 oney on his 
 mid or not; 
 coiners. To 
 coiners here 
 n extraoi'di- 
 
 ipty air, for 
 
 interested ! ' 
 the present 
 11 about the 
 )und herself 
 direction of 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 A DESPERATE UNIJEIITAKING. 
 
 LL those who were present at that 
 fancy ball said that it was the most 
 brilliant children's ball they had ever 
 seen. The costumes w^ero original and 
 well put on. Each little character had more or 
 less individuality. The variety of the costumes, 
 too, was so great that the scene was absolutely 
 dazzling; but of all those pretty children, with 
 their happy faces and sparkling eyes and rosy 
 cheeks, there was no one who attract<d the attention 
 that tlie Dark Rosalcen did. Even beautiful Nina, 
 the Snow Queen, was not looked at as much as the 
 little girl with the black hair and black, black eyes, 
 for in those eyes just now there was a wonderful 
 expression, a hungry, sad look, which caused people 
 to glance at the child again and again. Sorrow and 
 remorse had brought changes into that fascinating 
 
 tfM«**fli» ttWWHWUHPTOfH^jpfj^IjiH 
 
tl 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 h 
 
 
 i "/p 
 
 I 1 
 
 
 '■ f: 
 
 
 tl 
 
 
 . 
 
 it 
 
 i 
 1 
 
 \ y 
 
 r ra 1 
 
 Li 
 
 1 Pt 
 
 
 k 
 
 joirji 
 
 378 
 
 A DESPEUATK UNOKliTAKlXO. 
 
 little face. The cliild had always been sU-ikliij^ly 
 liandHonie; hut now a soul seemed to look out of 
 thoHe wonderfid big eyes, and the little face was far 
 older and more thoughtful than it ought to be 
 for its tender years. 
 
 Rosaleen was universally reo;arded f^ the liand- 
 some.st child present. .Soon lier pro;.;i'amnie was quite 
 full, for partners came U[) to claim every dance. She 
 could dance like a fairy sprite; and when she was 
 whirling round the room in her little partner's 
 embrace she tried to believe that she was as happy 
 Jis she looked. 
 
 'Of course I look happy,' she said to herself; 'wo 
 all look happy. But I'm misciable all the time.' 
 
 And suddenly, before the ball was an hour old, the 
 sense of that misery became so overpowerino- that, 
 asking one of her partners to excuse her, she went 
 into one of the dressing-rooms. All the children 
 had come ; the dance was at its full height ; there was 
 no one in the dressing-room but the attendant. She 
 asked Rosaleen if she could do anything for her. 
 
 'A glass of watej-, please,' said the Dark 
 Rosaleen. 
 
 The woman fetched it, and gave it to the 
 little girl. 
 
 ' Aren't you well, deary ? Is anything wrong ? ' 
 she inquired. 
 
A DESI'EJUTK UNDKIITAKING. 
 
 379 
 
 'II .strikingly 
 
 look out of 
 
 face was far 
 
 lught to be 
 
 ^ the lian cl- 
 ue was quite 
 (lauce. She 
 len she was 
 lo partner's 
 as as liappy 
 
 herself; 'we 
 :iie time.' 
 lour oM, the 
 ivering that, 
 ^r, she went 
 he children 
 t ; tliere was 
 ndaut. She 
 
 for her. 
 
 the Dark 
 
 it to the 
 ig wrong ? ' 
 
 'It's my heart; it aclies,' said llosaleen. 
 
 Tiie woman did nut gue.ss that Rosaleen was not 
 Lalkino- ahout her physical heart, but her mental 
 .iuo. She looked down at her with ii,reat admii-a- 
 1 '.on, 
 
 ' Ay,' she cried, ' I never .saw a bonnier ^ipsy 
 than you, missy. Why, you mi^ht be a real oiir.' 
 
 'Look here,' said Rosaleen. She started up and 
 clasped the woman by her two hamls. 
 
 'Do you know,' continued Rosaleen, 'that I am 
 a person that hates very stronii'ly?' 
 
 ' Are you, indeed, my dear i ' said the woman. 
 
 ' I am. I have natinl more than one person in my 
 day; but of all tlie people I hate mo.st in tlie worM 
 it's the gipsies; they're a bad, bad, bad l(»t.' 
 
 ' So the}'- are,' r.'plied the woman; 'they are a bad 
 lot. I am truly thankful that tho.se gipsies that 
 encamped close to the town have gone o(i,' 
 
 ' Oh, have they gone ? ' said RosaUen. She became 
 suddenly watchful and attentive. ' How long ago 
 is it since they went ? ' 
 
 ' What is it to you, my dear ? ' 
 
 ' I happened to know one of them called 
 Floribel.' 
 
 ' Did you ? Then she was a very had person for 
 a little girl like you to know,' said the woman; 'a 
 bad, deceitful creature she was. Well, they 're gone, 
 

 i ! 
 
 I 
 
 ' ( 
 
 I 3 
 
 I 
 
 I j i: 
 
 > < J, 
 
 ' i 
 
 I. _ J f ,^, . ., 
 
 I'' i 
 
 m 
 
 380 A DKSPEllATE UNDEIiTAKINO. 
 
 thank goo.lne,ss! Tlioy went on Cluist.na,s-night 
 
 They have gone to Orchardson.' 
 
 ' Oichardson ? ■ cried Rosaleen. 'Orchardson?' 
 'Yes, dear. Don't you know Orchardson?' 
 
 ^ • Oh ! to be sure. We have driven tliere souietimes 
 
 in the .summer.' 
 
 'That's it. It's a matter of ten miles from here, 
 right across the moors. You cannot mistake vour 
 way; you can get to Orchardson and cut off ov-r 
 two miles of the distance if you go aci-oss the moors; 
 and It's there the gipsies luive encamped. They 
 liave gone into the town, and taken lo<lgino-,s for 
 the cold weatlier. They ha^ e go,ie to what'' they 
 call the gipsy quarter.' 
 
 ' And whei-e is that ? ' asked Rosaleen. 
 'Just as you go into the town from this side 
 Anybody would tell you. But there, you don't want 
 to knov.'— do you ? ' 
 
 * Oh, of course not ; only I 'm interested to know 
 where Floribel is now, although I hate her so much ' 
 said the child. She got up; her head felt very 
 giddy, so she sat down again. She was thinkin-. 
 out something. Her one wild, frantic desire was to 
 see Floribel. She did not know exactly what she 
 wanted to say to lier ; perhaps it was to reproach 
 her, to hurl against her some of that wild anger 
 which was surgiiig in her heart, to do her a mischief 
 
A DESPFRATK U.VDEHTAKINO. 
 
 381 
 
 -nia.s-uight 
 
 Ison ? ' 
 I?' 
 
 soniutinies 
 
 Toin liere, 
 ;ako your 
 'i ofl' ovor 
 ho inuors ; 
 i They 
 lyings for 
 hat they 
 
 ihis side. 
 )n't want 
 
 io know 
 io much,' 
 elt very 
 tliinkiiio- 
 • was to 
 hat she 
 reproach 
 \ anger 
 niiscliief 
 
 if she could. Rosaleen was reckless now — reckless 
 and despairing. Just when she hoped that she had 
 put everything right, she had put matters most 
 wrong; and her father— oh, her father !— was in 
 danger. What was to happen ? That sovereign must 
 be taken away as fast as it had been put into his 
 pocket. She must take it awny. He was at the 
 ball, and doubtless the sovereign was in his waist- 
 coat-pocket at homo. Oh, if she could only get it, 
 and then go and find Floribel, and hurl it into her 
 face, and tell her what she thought of her! 
 
 To Rosaleen, in moments of reckless passion, 
 no difficulties existed. To do what she wanted 
 was the one thing; an overmastering desire put 
 such strength into h?r heart that obstacles did not 
 exist. She rose to her feet ; the giddiness had passed 
 off; she seemed to see her path clear before her. 
 
 'You are going back to the ballroom now — aren't 
 you, missy ? ' 
 
 ' I am not,' leplied Rosaleen. She looked full into 
 the woman's fa'je. ' I am not quite well,' she said. 
 ' I mean, dancing makes me giddy. Do you think 
 you could get me a cab ? I can't walk home in this 
 dress. Do you think you could call a cab for 
 lie \ ' 
 
 ' To be sure, dear.' 
 
 'Will you lend mo a shilling, and I'll pay you 
 
i i 
 
 S82 
 
 A I)ESI-E1{.\t: I NDKItTAKIN'O. 
 
 back luiihlully t.; ii.onuu /' said Ko.ulcrn. '1 want 
 the nionoy to pay inv my cab.' 
 The woman eoiiipli(j<l at onco. 
 
 ' Well, dear, it is (•nsily inurm;^,,,]; she .sai,], 'And 
 what am I to t.'ll yo.ir people if tliey ask lor you ? 
 You are Miss llosaloen Frere—ai-e you not i" 
 
 'Yes. Say that I was irlUly, and I went home; 
 the dancing made me giddy, and 1 went home/ 
 replied Rosaleen. 
 
 The woman nodd.-.l. She put o.i Ro-alcn's warm 
 little cloak, and wrapped a shawl round the little 
 •girl's head, and then she herself wont with her to 
 the entrance of the Town Hail and called a hunnom, 
 and told the man to take little missy home. 
 
 Everybody knew Dr Frere's house, an.l everybody 
 knew the Dark Rosaleen. Just as .she; was driving 
 oil' she called out to the woman: 
 
 'You are sure it a to Orchardson they have 
 gone ? ' 
 
 'Who, dear?' said the woman, in some surprise. 
 
 'The gipsies,' calle 1 out Rosal en. 
 
 'Yes, yes; it's to Orchardson they've gone,' 
 replied the woman; and then the cab turned the 
 corner, and the balh-.^om in all its glory and the 
 l;appy children who were d.mcing so merrily were 
 left behind, and Rosah-en foinid hei'self out hi the 
 cold. 
 
A BESPEHATi: rN'DEllTAKlNO. 
 
 383 
 
 It vvns n MUr iiijfht, und the cnbnmn diil not 
 ask hor if .-lie vvuuti.'d tlic oIush down. 'I'lic snow 
 was iM'^Iunin^' to I'lill afjuin, and tlwir wuh also a 
 Inuh wind. \Vlu;n UoHaleen rcficlioil Ir r idnr slio was 
 cliillt'd to the hone; lut tlit.' determination within 
 lier was more fixed than evci-. Slie wouM not rin;^' 
 tlio bell, as slit! dill not want any one to know she 
 had e(.>nie back to the house. She t.ni.d' (J l)^' the 
 gaid n way, i'ound the wind >w thKai^h wliieli Fn d 
 had climbed, and thiouj^h uhieh she li<nvelf had so 
 ol'ten entered the house. The Hci-vants were dewn- 
 staii's. Rosaleen ran np at once to her father's 
 dressing-room. The door was open; she rusl'.c I in, 
 pulled open the vvar<h'obo with frantic fini:<'rs, and 
 found the waistcoat; she felt about it, but there 
 
 was no sovereign. 
 
 ' Oh dear ! oh dear ! * Her very kn-^es trembled 
 under her. What should she do? 
 
 Just at that moment a slioht noise attracted her 
 attention. She looked r)und, and there was old 
 nurse. 
 
 •Ha! now, missy, I have cai;;ht you,' said nurse. 
 'What are yon doin;^, missy?' 
 
 ' Oh, I am so wretched I ' exclaimed the child. 
 'Come here, nursy; I must talk t > sonie one.' 
 
 Now, nurse could be unkind and farfastic and 
 deaf and disagreeable an>l deadly curi<ais; but when 
 
 w c!a aa B aB *tt aaBaa 
 
ff *' 
 
 384 
 
 A DESrEKATE UNDEUTAKING. 
 
 a person really confided in her she could be just the 
 reverse. On these rare occasions she was warm and 
 sympathetic, and, as the children expressed it 
 cossety. She could take them in her arms and pet 
 tliem; and now she sat down on the nearest chair 
 and did just what Rosaleen fairly panted for her 
 to do-took the child into her embrace, wrapped her 
 arms round her, and said in a soothing tone ; 
 
 ' And if old nursy can do anythin/ for her wild 
 Rose, why, she will. You'll tell me all about it 
 love; you'll tell me all about it.' 
 
 •Oh nursy! nursy!' cried Rosaleen. She al- 
 lowed the comfort of the old woman's embrace for 
 a moment, but then she steeled herself. 
 ' I want to get back that sovereign,' she said. 
 'What sovereign, my love?' 
 
 'The sovereign that I put into father's waistcoat 
 this morning.' 
 
 'What!' cried nurse. 'Did you put a sovereign 
 into your father's pocket-a false sovereign ? Was 
 that what yo,i were doing to-day when you slipped 
 into the dressing-room? You, Rosaleen! I did 
 know that you wasn't what was called a ,<rood little 
 ludy, but I did not know that you were an out-and- 
 out deceitful, bad, treacherous one.' 
 
 ' Oh ! don't scold ; plea«e, don't scold,' said Rosaleen 
 did it because I could not help it, and because 
 
 t T 
 
 X 
 
A DESPERA're UN'!)I:i;T.\F<IN(]!. 
 
 385 
 
 it meant something that happened a long, long time 
 ago. Nursy, nursy, where is the sovereign?' 
 
 'Well, I expect your father has taken it to the 
 police court, it' you ask me,' replied nurse. ' He 'Jl 
 punish you desperate had for this. Miss Rosaleen. 
 A nice pickle you've got him into— Dr Frere to he 
 known to have false money on his pej-son. Oh, I 
 am bitterly ashamed of yon missj^ ! ' 
 
 'All right, nursy; be as ashamed of me as 
 you like,' said Rosalocn ; and she laid her head 
 down on the old woman's shoulder and burst into 
 tears. 
 
 'Dear heart! Why, you're not well,' said nurse. 
 ' Come straight into mistress's room, and let me 
 warm you by the fire. Why, you're trembling all 
 over, poor child! I believe you have gone and 
 caught something nasty — measles, or scarlet fever, 
 or something.' 
 
 'No, no, I'm not. I'm as well as possible,' 
 answered Rosaleen. 
 
 'And what have you come back from that place 
 where they are all hopping about for?' said nurse. 
 ' I don't hold with balls myself, and fancy balls less 
 than others. You made me dress you up as a figure 
 of fun, and now you're back again. What does it 
 all mean, missy ? ' 
 
 'I wanted to find that sovereign — that false 
 
 Tlie Odds mid tlie Evens. v 
 
1) I 
 
 'in 
 
 • vi 
 
 
 M * l! 
 
 I i t 
 
 ' I ■ 
 
 I ' 
 
 h t 
 
 yjkjfaa^ 
 
 iiJl 
 
 ! 
 
 g 
 
 i 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 ,' ' 
 
 '" 
 
 J 
 
 j L 
 
 , 
 
 ! 
 
 a,-k ■■ 
 
 386 
 
 A DESPEllATE UNDERTAKING. 
 
 sovereign. I am so awfully friglitened/ roplie.l Rosa- 
 leen. 
 
 •Dear heart! dear heart! and you have cause 
 to be.' 
 
 'Will they lock father up because — because of the 
 sovereign ? ' 
 
 'No; it ain't likely they'll lock him up. But they 
 would think very little of locking up the little girl 
 who put it into his pocket,' said nurse, who thought 
 the opportunity had come to give Rosaleen, as she 
 expressed it, a right good lesson. 
 
 To her surprise, however, Rosaleen did not say a 
 word in answer to that. She sat quite still, staring 
 straight into the fire. After a time she said gently, 
 and with a certain new-boin dignity: 
 
 'I am quite warm now; thank you for warming 
 me. I think I'll go to bed.' 
 
 ' Very well, pet, do. It 's the very best place for 
 you. Shall nursy come up and undress you i ' 
 
 'No; I would rather go alone, please, nursy. I'm 
 very sad, and I'd like just to be alone.' 
 
 'And I never doubted hei-,' said nurse, repeating 
 this part of the story afterwards, when tliey were 
 all in such terror about Rosaleen. 
 
 Accordingly, without any more words, she let tlie 
 child go, and Rosaleen fouii i her way to her room. 
 There sh- set to work uith promptitude. She 
 
ieil Rosa- 
 
 ve cause 
 
 3e of the 
 
 But they 
 
 ittle girl 
 
 thought 
 
 I, as she 
 
 )t say a 
 , staring 
 I gently, 
 
 Alarming 
 
 lace for 
 
 y. I 'm 
 
 ipeating 
 ".y were 
 
 let the 
 r room, 
 e. She 
 
 A DESPERATE UNDEHTAKINO. 
 
 ns7 
 
 changed htr scarlet shoes for thick boots, wrapped 
 herself in her fur cloak, and put a warm woollen 
 shawl round her head. 
 
 ' And now I am n^ad}'^,' she thought. She went 
 softly out of the room and peeped over the banisters. 
 There was no otie in .sigjit. Nurse had gone down 
 to tlie kitchen to recount her adventure with Rosa- 
 leen ; to throw up her hauls au'l exclaim at the 
 child's extraordinary coTidiict in putting the false 
 sovereign into lur father's pocket. 
 
 Rosaleen took the op[)ortunity to slip downstairs. 
 to open the window looking into the garden once 
 more, to step out into the snowy night, and to start 
 on her way to Orcliardson. Ten miles ! What were 
 ten miles when her heart was beating with such 
 anger ? What were ten miles when her brain was 
 clamouring to see a certain person in order to pour 
 forth all the woes of her heart, all the anger of 
 which she was capable, in that person's face ? 
 
 'When I have told her what I think I'll bo 
 satisfied; but see hei- I mu.st, I will,' thought the 
 wildly excited child. 
 
 The woman in th ' cloakroom had efiven her vaixue 
 directions with reyard to Orcliardson. She had told 
 her that if she crossed the moors she would save 
 a matter of two or three miles. Rosaleen determined, 
 therefore, without a moment's hesitation, to go that 
 
388 
 
 A Disrp;RA'i'i.; undkutakino. 
 
 
 II 
 
 i t 
 
 way. It is true slie had driven to Orchardson with 
 her mother in the beautiful long summer days; but 
 as to the direction of the place across the moors, she 
 had not the faintest idea of it. She knew, however, 
 that at the end of the garden the field across which 
 the wicke.l, faithless gipsy had come led to the 
 moors; and she determined to go that way for a 
 double reason. In the first place, she thought it was 
 the right and shortest way ; and in the next, no 
 one would see her. Accordingly, with the snow 
 blinding her and the wind beating in her face, she 
 started on her long and perilous journey. She 
 reached the stile, crossed it, and found herself in 
 the field. Here the snow was soft, and her feet 
 sank in it. She almost enjoyed at first the cold 
 of the air a.id the crunching of her little feet in the 
 new-fallen snow. 
 
 When she got to the bottom of the field she 
 entered a wood, a young plantation where larches 
 and other young trees were growing to matuiity. 
 She crossed the wood at right angles, and then came 
 out on the high-road. Just then she met a man ; 
 he was walking towards the town. He stopped in 
 ■some astonishment when he saw a little white-robed 
 figure— for Rosaleim was now completely covered 
 with snow— standing in the middle of the road. 
 ' Have you lost your way, miss ? ' he said. 
 
■dsoa with 
 (lays; but 
 moors, she 
 ^ however, 
 ^oss which 
 !(1 to the 
 vay for a 
 ;?ht it was 
 
 next, no 
 the snow 
 
 face, she 
 ley. She 
 lierself in 
 
 her feet 
 
 the cold 
 eet in the 
 
 field she 
 e larches 
 maturity, 
 den came 
 
 a man ; 
 opped in 
 lite-robed 
 
 covered 
 :oad. 
 
 A DESPERATE UNDERTAKING. 
 
 389 
 
 'No, no; I have not. At least, perhaps I have,' 
 replied the child. 'I want to go to Orchardson 
 Wliich is the nearest way ? ' 
 
 'To Orcliardson to-ni^rht ?' .said the man, 'But 
 you can't possibly do it, miss; you '11 be lost in the 
 snow. There's goin-- to be a very heavy fall. Do 
 you live at Orchanlson, mi-s ?' 
 
 'I want to go to Orchardson,' replied Rosaleen 
 in what was meant to be a xovy stern voice. 
 
 'Well, that's your road,' said the man, hesitatinc,' 
 for a moment whether to prevent her going any 
 farther or not. He concluded, however, that it was 
 no affair of his. 
 
 ' But I don't want to go by the road,' said Rosa- 
 leen, calling after him as he was aljout to turn away. 
 'I want to go the short way across the moor.' 
 
 • You must not do it,' replied the man ; ' it would 
 be madness— sheer madness. Why, there are quarries 
 in that common— two or tiiree; and if you fell into 
 one you 'd be killed on the spot. Don't you attempt 
 it, miss. If you immt go to Orchardson to-night, go 
 by the road. You 'II get there by morning perhaps ; 
 and don't you sit down, miss, in this snow, and 
 try to go to sleep; for if you do, why — but of 
 course you won't.' 
 
 'What's the way across the common?' .said Rosa- 
 leen imperiously. 
 
 magiim i t^n i 
 
II; 1 ?'ir 
 
 ■iU\ 
 
 i t 
 
 390 
 
 A DESPERATE UNDEHTAKINO. 
 
 'You'll see the path- thfit is, if it's iv.t covored 
 by the sn.ivv— a quarter oF a mile farther on,' said 
 the man ; ' but don't you try it, fur Heaven's sake, 
 or you'll be lost as sure as fate.' 
 
 Rosaleen gave a mocking laugh and ran away. 
 
 'The man thinks I'm frightened just because 
 tliere's a little snow,' she said to herself; 'but I'll 
 not lose my way.' 
 
 She soon found a sign-post pointing across the 
 conunon in the direction of Orchardson. There was 
 enough light caused by the moon, which peeped 
 now and then through the thick snow clouds, for her 
 to see that Orchardson was six and a half miles 
 away from that spot. Six and a half miles to 
 Rosaleen in her present excited condition meant no 
 distance at all. 
 
 'I '11 get there in the middle of the night,' thouglit 
 the child. ' I '11 wake her up, and I '11 give it to 
 her. I'll frighten her; yes, I will. She'll have to 
 give me a real sovereign. I will hnd her; 1 must 
 find Floribel.' 
 
 Recklessly, determinedly, her heart beating higli, 
 her face aglow, slie turned in the direction of the 
 desolate moor; and the snow beat in her face and 
 the wind howled in her ears. 
 
 iiiiikiLfet 
 
11' it covored 
 n->r on,' said 
 javen's sake^ 
 
 391 
 
 an away, 
 ust because 
 f ; ' but I '11 
 
 across the 
 There was 
 lich peeped 
 )U(ls, for her 
 half miles 
 If miles to 
 n meant no 
 
 jlit,' thouglit 
 
 give it to 
 
 3 '11 have to 
 
 ler; 1 must 
 
 eating higli, 
 jtion of thv> 
 er face and 
 
 CHAPTERXXX. 
 
 TO THE RESCUE. 
 
 OSALEEN was mi,>sed in the ballroom. 
 Nina was the first to discover her 
 absence. She looked round to ri.rht 
 and left in every direction. She asked 
 this child and that child; but no one had seen 
 the Dark Rosaleen. For two houi-s she had not 
 been seen anywhere. A little partner who admired 
 her very much came up to Nina in despair. 
 
 ' Rosaleen Frere promised to dance these " Lancers " 
 with me,' he said, 'and I cannot (in.l her any- 
 where.' 
 
 Then Nina became a little anxious, although she 
 could scarcely tell why, and went to speak to Mrs 
 Frere, 
 
 'Have you seen Rosaleen anywhere?' she asked. 
 'No; replied Mrs Frere. 'I thought she was with 
 the ivst of tlio ehil iron. I saw her so much during 
 
the first hour of tlio dance that I am surprised I 
 have not noticed her. Is anything tae matter?' 
 
 'Perhaps she is not well; perhaps she has gone 
 into the cloakroom,' said Nina. 
 
 Just then a small boy of the name of Davidson 
 came up. 
 
 'Are you asking for Rosaleen Frere?' he said. 
 
 'Yes,' answered Nina. 'Have you seen her?' 
 
 ' Well, I expect I danced with her one of the last,' 
 replied the little boy; 'but that is two hours ago 
 nearly. She said she was giddy, and wanted to 
 go to the cloakroom.' 
 
 'Oh dear! oh dear! I wish you had told us 
 before,' said Mrs Frere. 
 
 She and Nina now went quickly to the cloak- 
 room. They made inquiries about Rosaleen, and the 
 woman in charge was able partly to allay their 
 fears. She told them that the child had not seemed 
 well, had asked her to put her into a hansom, and 
 had gone home. 
 
 'Now, what is to be done?' cried Mrs Frere. 
 'Rosaleen could not have been at all well to ao 
 home like that in the midst of all the fun. What 
 can it mean ? I ought to go back immediately to 
 find out what is wrong, poor little darling!* " 
 
 'You cannot possilly leave the ball, Mrs Frere,' 
 said Nina. ' You know you have every one to look 
 
TO 'lliE RESCUE. 
 
 393 
 
 surprised I 
 iitter ? ' 
 ) has gone 
 
 Davidson 
 
 le said. 
 
 her ? ' 
 
 f the last,' 
 
 hours ago 
 wanted to 
 
 d told us 
 
 the cloak- 
 n, and the 
 Jlay their 
 lot seemed 
 msoni, and 
 
 Irs Frere. 
 ^ell to go 
 un. What 
 3diately to 
 
 g 
 
 f 
 
 Irs Frere,' 
 ne to look 
 
 after, and you are one ui' our ho.stos.sos. May I 
 suggest that I might drive buck — I shall not be any 
 time — and find out about llosalciii ;' I can coin(3 
 back later on ii' she is in bed and aslettp. Do let 
 me, please.' 
 
 'It would be very kind of you, Nina. I shall bo 
 very glad to allow you,' replied Mrs Frere. 
 
 Accordingly, Nina, wrapped in Jier warm cloak, 
 soon found herself in a hansom driving to Dr Frere's 
 house. She rang the bell, and one of the sleepy 
 servants appeared. 
 
 'I want to see Miss Rosaleen,' said Nina. 
 
 ' Miss Rosaleen. Oh ! she 's iu bed and asleep a 
 long time ago,' replied the girl, 
 
 'That is all right,' said Nina. 'When did she 
 come back ? ' 
 
 'Nurse saw her. I'm sure I can't say, miss.' 
 
 ' You don't know if she was ill ? ' 
 
 ' I don't know, miss. Nurse saw her.' 
 
 'I think I'll speak to nur.-^e for a moment,' replied 
 Nina. 
 
 The old woman was cnlled, and Nina spoke to 
 her. 
 
 'We were anxious about Rosaleen,' she said; 'Itut 
 Emily tells me that she has gone upstairs and is 
 now in bed.' 
 
 ' Yes,' said nurse, ' nearly two hours ago.' 
 
'1:1 
 
 111' \ 
 
 • M 
 
 <:l\ 
 
 ^^'^ TO THE KESCUE. 
 
 'Was the cliiM ill whcti slio camo home?' 
 'She was in a queer state, Miss Xiua— a very 
 <iueer state. Miss Rosaleen lias been behavin^r in a 
 vei-y nauglity way; it was her conscience that was 
 troubling her, T think. She was in a queer state. 
 I don't want to tell tales on her, but it had some- 
 thing to do with that false sovereign which was 
 fonnd in Dr Frere'a pocket this afternoon.' 
 
 Now, Nina had been told the story of the sovereign, 
 and was intensely interested. 
 
 'I wish you would tell me everything,' she said. 
 'I am very fond of Rosaleen. i am all the fonder 
 of her because I fear she greatly dislikes me.' 
 
 'Oh, Miss Nina! few people could disiJke a beauti- 
 ful young lady like yourself,' cried -^urse. 
 
 Nurse had a great admiration for all the Carling- 
 fords, and for Nina in particular. 
 
 MVell, I tell you what it is,' said Nina, 'if you 
 would rather not tell me, I'll go up and just see 
 if Rosaleen is asleep. If she is sound asleep I 
 won't disturb her; but if she is awake, perhaps— 
 oh ! perhaps,' added the girl, dropping her voice to 
 a whisper— 'the time I have so long waited for, 
 when I can really do a service for the dear little 
 Rosaleen, has come.' 
 
 ' You '11 go up softly, then, Miss Nina,' said nurse, 
 'for the poor child did seem in a dreadful state, and 
 
 ii 
 
TO THE HESCUK. 
 
 395 
 
 camo in shivoriii<i 
 
 i.kf iiuytluii;^ 
 
 I li.-ul to 1, !>!.•! hvv 
 
 in my ann.s and cosset her up a bit by the uii.stivss's 
 lire; but she was quite warm when slie went to 
 bed. Only, if she is asleep, Miss Nina, it's a pity 
 to waUen her.' 
 
 'I'll lie as quiet as possible,' replied Nina. 'You 
 may *rust me.' 
 
 She ran upstairs past the old woman. She turned 
 down the corridor which led to llosaleen's room; 
 she knew it well. Often and often had she been 
 there at different periods of her life. She had lived 
 with the Freres for a couple of months once, when 
 Uosaleen was a dark-eyed, dark-haired baby, and had 
 begged and implored to have the pretty little girl 
 to sleep with her, and they had slept together in 
 that room. Yes, Nina knew it well. She turned the 
 liandle very softly ; the room was in darkness. So far 
 so good. She stepped across the carpeted floor and 
 went clo.se up to the bed, where slie supposed 
 Rosaleen to be Ivinjr. She stretched out her hand. 
 
 'All I want is to feel her,' she said to ber.self. 
 ' Of cour.se .slie is here, sound asleep ; but it would 
 f-'tisfy me just to feel her little form.' 
 
 And Nina stretched out her hand, to find oidy 
 vacancy — an empty bed — no one in it. She felt all 
 over it; then, walking in the direction of the dressing- 
 table, she found matches and a candle, and, striking 
 
BQQ 
 
 TO THK UKSCUE. 
 
 1 i 
 
 i 
 
 a li«lifc. soon di,scovuro<l tlint the room itself wa.s 
 absolutely en.pty. The two little beds, all pivpa.ed 
 ior the ui^ht, Imd no .occupants. Amy was ti^.,irin.. 
 it with hi;,di glee and happy .spi.it.s in tlio balh-oom" 
 and Ivosaluen— oh ! where was Ro.saleiin ? 
 
 Nina's heart beat wild with fri,i,d,t. She looked 
 round the room. She knew the determined character 
 of the unhappy little girl. She saw on the floor, 
 one tos,sed Jiere, another there, the small pretty red 
 slippers. On the be.l also were tossed the coral beads 
 which had bound Rosaleen's dark hair. There were 
 further traces of wild confusion in the room, but 
 nothino- to give a clue— nothing whatever. 
 Nina considered for a moment. 
 ' Where can she be ? ' she said to herself. ' I know 
 «bc is fond of going into the garden in the cold; 
 but what does this menu ? I don't want to frighten' 
 anybody. I should like to lind her my own .self.' 
 
 She went softly, slowly acr(,sa the landing to the 
 opposite room, whom Prudence and Fatience slept. 
 She opened their v.ardrobo and took out of it a 
 thick fur cloak, pinned a hat on her head, and ran 
 softly downstairs. 
 
 Nurse, perfectly content, absolutely satisfied that 
 her nursling was fast asleep, had returned to the 
 warm and genial kitchen. Nina hesitated for a 
 moment whether to tel! her or not; then feelin<r 
 
TO THE UESCUK. 
 
 397 
 
 :^HC!lf was 
 prfpaieil 
 
 lallrooiii ; 
 
 13 looked 
 !liaractur 
 III) floor, 
 etty red 
 •al beads 
 ire were 
 01 n, but 
 
 I know 
 le cold ; 
 "fighten" 
 self.' 
 to the 
 ) .slept. 
 'l' it a 
 nd ran 
 
 d that 
 
 to the 
 
 for a 
 
 feelinj; 
 
 that not a nioinont was to bo lost, she Wfiit into 
 ti! hall. A drau^dit attructud iier attention — a 
 keen, cutting drau«,dit of cold air. She looked to 
 light and left. There must be an open window 
 .somewhere. Suddenly a fresh idcvi came to her. 
 She entered a room at the end of the passage, and 
 saw that the window was wiilo open ; this window 
 looked into the garden. 
 
 *I cannot do much on a night like this witliout 
 .". lantern,' thought Nina; but she knew where to 
 lind one. In the children's room, the great big bare 
 room where the toys were kept and the animals 
 flourished, were a couple of old lanterns. 
 
 Nina took one down, put her candle into it, shut 
 it, and .stepped out or lie sill of the open window. 
 Holding her lantern carefully, she walked along the 
 Huow-covered garden. Soon she reached the stile at 
 the end of the garden. 
 
 Nina got over the stile and went into the copse, 
 and at last she al.so found her.self on the hiirh-road. 
 
 A man swinging a lantern was walking along. 
 He stopped whon he saw the tall girl, al.-,o hold- 
 ing a lantern, and standing on the snow-covered 
 path. 
 
 'It's a bad night, mi.ss,' he said in a tentative 
 tone. 
 
 Nina replied coldly. She was thinking entirely 
 
<,: 
 
 ' I > ( 
 
 f 7-S - 
 t 
 
 < : 
 
 'fl 
 
 398 
 
 TO TUE RESCUE. 
 
 of Rosaleen, and scarcely knew that any one addressed 
 her. 
 
 The man stopped. 
 
 'It's a queer night as well as a cold one,' he 
 continued. 'There seem to be a lot of gliosta 
 about.' 
 
 ' What do you mean by that ? ' said Nina, roused 
 by his words. 
 
 ' Well, miss,' he replied, ' it 's not more than an hour 
 and a half ago that I saw a little lady stand just 
 as you are doing, in the middle of the road. The 
 snow had cleared for a bit, and the moon had come 
 out, and it shone on her, and she was all white 
 from head to foot. I spoke to her and warned 
 her. Now, it seems queer that you, miss, should 
 also be standing just on the same spot. I hope to 
 the Lord you are not going to cross the moor to- 
 night.' 
 
 Nina sprang forward and caught the man by the 
 hand. 
 
 'Tell me,' she said— 'tell me— a little girl? Was 
 .she a very dark little gii-1 ? ' 
 
 'She was all a white little girl when I saw her,' 
 answered the man, 'covered from head to foot with 
 snow. She had a fierce voice and a determined way, 
 and she asked me how she was to get to Orchardson. 
 and I told her to go by the load ; but she laughed 
 
TO THE HE .CUE. 
 
 399 
 
 addressed 
 
 one,' he 
 :' gho.stH 
 
 I, roused 
 
 an hour 
 and just 
 id. The 
 ad come 
 11 white 
 warned 
 Hhould 
 hope to 
 floor to- 
 by the 
 ? Was 
 
 iw her,' 
 ot with 
 ed way, 
 lardson, 
 laughed 
 
 at mo and said she wanted to go by the moor. 
 I warned her not; but I don't know whether she 
 heeded me. I was going into town to bring some 
 medicine to my sick missus, or I would have followed 
 her to prevent her; but my missus is mortal bad, 
 miss, and so I couldn't wait to take care of noLody 
 else. I hope she didn't go on the moor. I warned 
 her not.' 
 
 'And that was how long ago?' asked Nina. 
 
 'Oh, an hour and a half ago, miss.' 
 
 'Then I tell you what,' said Nina. 'I know who 
 that little girl was, and I am looking for h(;r. We 
 must search for her immediately. Will you come 
 with me ? Oh ! it is so bitterly cold, and the snow 
 falls so thickly. Can you come with me at once to 
 search for her ? ' 
 
 ' I cannot go with any one, miss, if there was fifty 
 children missing, till I have; taken this bottle of 
 metlicine home to my missus.' 
 
 ' And how far away is that ? ' asked Nina, clasping 
 her hands in despair. 
 
 'It's a matter of a mile from here/ said the man, 
 'just along this road, and then a sharp turn to 
 your right; but I can't walk fast in this blinding 
 snow. I'll wish you good-evening, miss. My poor 
 missus is mortal bad.' 
 
 Nina uttered a cry of pain. 
 
400 
 
 TO THE RESCUE. 
 
 
 li' 
 
 i! 
 
 The man passed her swinging his lantern. She 
 stood still for another instant. What should she do ? 
 Should she cross tlie moor herself, or follow the 
 high-road ? 
 
 'No, no, there is no time for that,' thought the 
 girl. 'It would take a very little lying down in 
 this cold to take life away ; and the child— oh, the 
 child! Oh that I might find her!' 
 
 Nina began running in the direction of Orchardson. 
 What was Rosaleen doing there ? Why did she want 
 to cross the moor? Had she lost her senses? 
 
 Fortunately the snow had almost ceased to fall, 
 and the moon once more put in a watery appearance. 
 Nina went on until she came to the sign-post which 
 described Orchardson as six and a half miles distant 
 — the sign-post with its wooden hand pointing across 
 the desolate moor, and pointing also down the road. 
 Which way had Rosaleen taken ? 
 
 Nina now put her lantern on the ground and 
 began to search for footprints. Presently she uttered 
 a cry of horror. She saw a little footprint partly 
 covered by the fresh-fallen snow, but still quite 
 perceptible, at the foot of an old yew-tree— a little 
 footprint, and then another, and another — beyond 
 doubt the footprints of a child, beyond doubt the 
 footprints of the Dark Rosaleen ; and they led straight, 
 across the moor. Tliero wore many of them, or.c 
 
TO THE RESCUE. 
 
 401 
 
 rn. She 
 
 she do ? 
 
 How the 
 
 >ught the 
 clown in 
 —oh, the 
 
 chardson. 
 she want 
 
 [ to fall, 
 peaiance. 
 )st which 
 s distant 
 ig across 
 blie road. 
 
 after the otliM-, ju^t as if llic litilc! feet were going 
 fast, very fa^t ; tlien, oblitei-ated \>y t;,c frosh snow, 
 they were lost altogether. 
 
 Nina found herself several feet hem the high-road, 
 standing alone with her lantern on the di\solate 
 moor. What was she to do? How was slie to find 
 Ro.saleen? She put down her lantern, raiseil her 
 hand to her lips, and cried a loud, clear ' ilullo ! ' 
 She made the sound several tiines, listening anxiou.sly, 
 with intense solicitude, for an answer. But none 
 ca- 'o her — all was silence; and now the moon hid 
 hor,^-?l^; once more behind a bank of thick clouds, 
 and the snow again filled the wintry air. 
 
 und and 
 e uttered 
 it partly 
 ill quite 
 —a little 
 -beyond 
 )ubt the 
 straight, 
 em, or.e 
 
 The Oilils ami the Evens. 
 
402 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 IN THE SNOW. 
 
 jOR nearly half-an-honr the snow fell 
 blindingly, and during all that time 
 Nina stood still. At last it ceased 
 to snow, and the moon once more 
 put in an appearance. The girl, standing motion- 
 less, had shielded her lantern under her fur cloak. 
 She now put it on the ground, took off the cloak, 
 shook away the accumulated mass of snow, and put 
 it on once more ; then, holding her lantern, she went 
 slowly and cautiously across the moor. When slie 
 had gone some three or four hundred yards she 
 stopped and once agftin uttered her clear, penetrating 
 'Hullo!' Her voice went straight through the air, 
 and, to her mingled ama>;eiuent, horror, and delight, 
 she heard a faint answering sound. It seenu'd to 
 come from a long way off, and to be also right 
 ahead of her. Nina v.-.alk<<l <inickly in the direction 
 of the sound. When .she had gone another hundred 
 
IN THE SNOW. 
 
 403 
 
 snow fell 
 that time 
 it ceased 
 mce mortj 
 ig motion- 
 fur cloak, 
 the cloak, 
 V, and put 
 1, she went 
 When she 
 yar'is she 
 enetratin*^ 
 1 the air, 
 id deljoht, 
 seemed to 
 il«o ri({lit 
 J diivction 
 I" hundred 
 
 yards or so she once more sliouted. Again there 
 came the answer, very faint, fainter than before ; 
 but it was nearer also. Nina went on again. Once 
 more she shouted. Now there was no reply. This 
 filled her with fear. She went on a little farther, and 
 .suddenly drew back with an excluination of horror. 
 She was on the edge of one of tlie old quarries with 
 which the moor abounded. A farther step and she 
 would have fallen headlong into this abyss. Was it 
 possible ? — oh, the horror of the thought ! — was it 
 possible that Rosaleen had come to the edge of this 
 quarry and hai fallen over in the darkness? 
 
 Nina went down on her knees, pushed her head 
 forward over th'- quarry, and once more shouted; 
 but now she altered hoi- tone. 
 
 ' Rose ! Rosaleen ! are you there ? Answer me. It 
 is I, Nina ! Answer me, Rose ! answer mn ! ' 
 
 There was utter stillness at first, and then it 
 seemed to Nina that she did distuietly hear a groan. 
 This was enouj^h for her. Somebody, whether 
 Rosaleen or another, some living creature, was in 
 that quarry. She walk(id round the uppi r edge, 
 blessing the moon for giving her some liuht, until 
 she found a winding path which led down into the 
 quarry. She went d(nvn the path carefully ; it was 
 slipporv an<l sodden bv the snow, wiiieh was at 
 this moment beginniiv^ to thaw. Fresh clouds were 
 
:U>- 
 
 I ii 
 
 jj 
 
 '*;' 
 
 } 
 
 404 
 
 IN THE SNOW. 
 
 banking up, and she knew ili,-:, !■, ,, vciy slun't time 
 the snow would descend once i = .o,v luul the moon 
 be concealed from sight. She -ot to the bottom of 
 the quarry, however, and the next instant had come 
 across a child lying full-length in its midst. The 
 child was lying on her bnck ; Ih-l arms were stretched 
 out wide; her cap liad fallen from her head; her 
 dark eyes were shut. 
 
 Oh, blessed moon! Nina looked up at it with 
 a glance of gratitude, for it showed her the face 
 of Rosaleen. She bent immediately over the little 
 girl, and called, ' Rose ! Rosaleen ! I am here.' 
 
 'Is that you, Nina?' said Itosaleen. She opened 
 her eyes; they had quite a sleepy look in them. 
 She did not show a vestige of astonishment. 
 
 'Where am I ? Am I in bed?' asked the Dark 
 Rosaleen. 
 
 'No, darling; you have fallen down here, and I 
 have come to you. Let me help you to rise. I 
 must take you home immediately.' 
 
 As Nina spoke she laid down bur lantern and put 
 her strong arms under the little girl's shoulder. 
 
 Rosaleen uttered a scream. 
 
 'I cannot! I cannot! I am hurt,' she cried. 'I 
 cannot stir. You must not move me. Let me lie 
 here. I— I am hurt.' 
 
 Nina knelt by the child. 
 
.sluji't tinio 
 
 th(; moon 
 
 bottom of 
 
 had come 
 
 idst. The 
 
 e stretched 
 
 head ; her 
 
 at it with 
 
 L* the face 
 
 • the little 
 
 ere.' 
 
 he opened 
 
 in them, 
 int. 
 
 the Dark 
 
 ire, and I 
 o rise. I 
 
 n and put 
 ilder. 
 
 cried, ' I 
 let me lie 
 
 Tlie child was lyi,,,- „ii iier back ; her arms were stretched out 
 
 wide ; . . . l)pr eyes were closed. p^ge 404 
 
1 - 
 
 i 
 
 jM \ 
 
 , 
 
 Um 
 
 J 
 
 1 1 
 
 ■ 
 
 ll 
 
 L 
 
IN THE SNOW. 
 
 405 
 
 'Oh! I must raise you off this damp, damp ground,' 
 she said. ' The snow is beginning to fall again. Come.' 
 
 'Kneel down close to me. A -en't we in bed at 
 home? Isn't it bedtime?' asked Rosaleen. 
 
 'Come, Rose, do rouse yourself; you must not 
 go to sleep in the snow. Come, Rose; come, dear.' 
 
 Nina was seriously alarmed now. Rosaleen w&:^ 
 undoubtedly badly hurt by ber fall. Whether a 
 bone was broken or not it was impossible for the 
 elder girl to tell, but she was afraid to move her; 
 and yet to leave her in her present dangerous 
 position would probably mean that the poor child 
 would be dead before any succour came. 
 
 'I cannot leave her,' thought Nina; 'and down 
 here the light of my lantern will not be seen; and 
 — oh dear ! oh dear ! Well, there is no help for it.' 
 
 Once again the moon was hidden, and once again 
 the snow came thick and fast. Nina placed her 
 lantern in such a position that the snow should not 
 quite cover the glass. She then knelt by Rosaleen, 
 and, notwithstanding the child's groans, managed to 
 slip her warm fur cloak partly under the little girl's 
 frozen limbs. She then wrapped her arms round the 
 child ; and, still disregarding her groans, drew her 
 close into her embrace. 
 
 'Is it you, Nina? What are you doing here?' 
 asked Rosaleen. 
 
,H 
 
 K 
 
 II, 
 
 
 
 i'' ? -f 
 
 n 1 
 
 i" 
 
 I 
 
 liM ' . ' 
 
 !l.,.:Ki; 
 
 Ml 
 
 1 !S 
 
 [Ir 
 
 406 
 
 IN THE SNOW. 
 
 ■ 'Taking care of you. Try and move. Wake; 
 talk to me, Rose. Tell me why you are here. Why 
 did you leave the ballroom ? Why are you here ? * 
 
 ' Oh, I remember now,' said Rosaloen. • Nina, why 
 have you come away from the ball ? ' 
 
 'Well, your mother was anxious about you. and 
 Bhe sent me to find out what was the matter. I 
 went to your home, and missed you. I came out 
 to look for you. What is the matter, little Rose ? 
 Tell Nina; tell Nina for the sake of long ago.' 
 
 ' The sake of long ago,' echoed the child dreamily. 
 'When I' 
 
 'You were such a pretty little baby,' said Nina, 
 ' and I used to love you so much ; you used to sleep 
 in my arms.' 
 
 Rosaleen gave a weak laugh. 
 
 •Let's pretend I'm a baby now, and asleep in 
 your arms,' she said. * Let 's forget the big tight.' 
 
 'Oh darling! I have forgotten it long, long ago.' 
 
 ' But I hated you. Do you— do you still care for 
 me?' 
 
 *I love you.' 
 
 ' That is very good of you,' said Rosaleen. She lay 
 quite still for a minute; once more her eyes closed, 
 then she began to talk in a dreamy, slow way. 
 
 'I wanted to find Floribel. She is a gipsy; she 
 did a very mean, nasty, wicked thing, and I wanted 
 
ve. Wake ; 
 here. Why 
 you here ? ' 
 ' Nina, why 
 
 it you and 
 3 matter. I 
 I came out 
 little Rose? 
 ig ago.' 
 d dreamily. 
 
 said Nina, 
 3ed to sleep 
 
 I asleep in 
 ng fight.' 
 long ago.' 
 till care for 
 
 n. She lay 
 syes closed, 
 ' way. 
 gipsy; she 
 d I wanted 
 
 IN THE SNOW. 
 
 407 
 
 'See here, I am 
 It tortures me 
 
 to find her. I lent her a sovereign once. I— I stole 
 
 it from my own, own father. I didn't mean to steal 
 
 it, but I did. It was the evening— the evening that 
 
 we ran the races. Nina, and recited our pieces, and 
 
 I fell, and you won. I took the sovereign. I 
 
 meant to give it back again, but the gipsy tempted 
 
 me. Oh, I cannot tell you any more! Oh, my 
 
 back! it hurts, it hurts. Oh, my leg! Oh. my leg! 
 
 The cold is so frightful. Can I get closer to you. 
 
 Nina? Are you warm, Nina?' 
 
 'Quite warm,' replied Nina. 
 
 going to rub your leg.' 
 
 'Oh! you must not touch it. 
 when you touch it.' 
 
 'Tell me why you came here,' said Nina; 'rouse 
 yourself. Even though your leg hurts you, move 
 it; don't mind the pain. The pain isn't half as 
 bad as the— the no pain. Nothing is so bad in all 
 the world as your not feeling. Talk to me, Rosa- 
 leen; talk to me.' 
 
 'But I am so sleepy, and it is quite comfy now 
 you have come,' said Rosaleen. 
 
 ' You must not go to sleep,' said Nina. ' Tell me 
 why you came here.' 
 
 'Because Floribel gave me a bad sovereign, a 
 sovereign that was no sovereign at all; and I put 
 it into father's waistcoat-pocket. And, oh ! I was so 
 
408 
 
 IN THK SNOW. 
 
 ii 
 I? 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 
 happy; for I was a thief no luiigor. But it was 
 i'alse, and they said perhaps I'd be locked up, or 
 perhaps father would be locked up ; and I was nearly 
 ujad, and I was going across the moor to Orchard- 
 son to find Floribel.' 
 
 'But how did you got in here?' 
 ' A man met me and told me not to go across the 
 moor; but it was three miles shorter, and I was in 
 a hurry, and I kept running all the way; and the 
 moon kept hiding her face and then coming out 
 again, and the snow kept falling; and I thought, 
 "I will not mind the snow, nor the cold, nor any- 
 thing, for my heart is burning, burning with rage ; " 
 and then all of a sudden I found myself tripping 
 and stumbling forward, and going down, down, and 
 then I came, with a great bang and shock, to the 
 bottom, and I fainted from the pain. When I came to 
 again I heard somebody shouting, and I called back. 
 That seems a long, long time ago. I don't remember 
 anything more. I expect I was hurt when I fell.' 
 
 'I am afraid you were. Nestle your head here 
 against my breast. Are you comfortable?' 
 ' Yes.' 
 
 'You don't hate me any more, little Rose?' 
 'Oh! I love you,' replied Eosaleen. 'That's the 
 way with me. I am always loving or I am always 
 hating. I love you. Why did I ever hate you? 
 
In thr hnow. 
 
 But it was 
 
 ikcd up, or 
 
 was nearly 
 
 to Orchard- 
 
 D across tho 
 d I was in 
 y ; and the 
 joniing out 
 
 I thought, 
 i, nor any- 
 vith rage;" 
 jlf tripping 
 
 down, and 
 ock, to the 
 1 I came to 
 lalled back. 
 
 remember 
 n I fell.' 
 
 head here 
 
 )se?' 
 
 rhat's the 
 im always 
 hate you? 
 
 409 
 
 How soft your cheek is, and so warm too, and 1 
 am so icy cold ! ' 
 
 Ninii kissed the little girl ; she breathed her warm 
 breath on her cold cheek ; she longed b.iyond woids 
 to have some stiniuHut 'o put between the blue 
 little lips. 
 
 The snow once mm oevsoJ to full, and the moon 
 came out, and Nina a:-' startled by the ghastly 
 look of the child. 
 
 ' Let 's go to sleep,' said Rosaleen drowsily. ' What 
 is the good of keeping awake ? 1 am in no pain now, 
 and why should we stay awake ? Let 's take a long, 
 long sleep. Let's say "Our Fatlier" we used to 
 when we slept together long, long ago,' 
 
 'Yes, we will say "Our Father, which art in 
 heaven," ' answered Nina. ' Listen to me, Rose. Keep 
 your eyes open.' 
 
 Rosaleen opened her dark eyes wide. Nina re- 
 peated the Lord's Prayer. When she came to the 
 sentence, 'Deliver us from evil,' she stopped. 'God 
 will hear us,' she said. 'Now, stay perfectly quiet, 
 Rosaleen; don't stir. I shall bn back with you again. 
 I am just going to run up to the top of the 
 quarry and wave my lantern and shout with all 
 my might. You '11 promise to keep awake while I 
 am away ? ' 
 
 'I'll promise,' answered the child. 
 
410 
 
 IN THE SNOW. 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 ' Be sure you do.' 
 
 'But it is very difficult, Nina. My eyes feel so 
 heavy, and I am quite comfy,' said Rosaleen. 'I 
 liave no pain now, and I am not angry with any- 
 body now. Do you think God will forgive me, 
 Nina? I have been an awfully wicked girl' 
 
 * I think He will. I know He will,' replied Nina. 
 'But don't go to sleep, Rose; for if you do you 
 may never wake again.' 
 
 Rose looked at her v/ithout quite comprehendino-. 
 Nina got up trembling. 
 
 'I must do something,' she said to herself. She 
 ran up to the top of the quarry, waved her lante-n, 
 and shouted as surely no girl ever shouted before. 
 She then laid the lantern where it could be seen by 
 anybody walking across the moor ; but was anybody 
 likely to cross that desolate moor on so bleak and 
 terrible a night? She dared not leave Rosaleen 
 another moment; she ran back to her. Alas! and 
 alas! when she did so the child was fast asleep. 
 Nina clasped her in her arms, shook her, whispered 
 in her ears, lireatl.d upon her, but all in vain; 
 and then, overcome by a strange sensation which 
 she had never known before, the older girl clasped 
 the younger ti^litly in her arms, and began herself 
 to yield to the seductive and sleepy inHuence of 
 the snow. 
 
al 
 
 yes feel so 
 )8aleen. ' I 
 with anj'- 
 [orgive me, 
 :irl.' 
 
 plied Nina, 
 ou do you 
 
 jrehendinor. 
 
 •self. She 
 
 ler lanteiTi, 
 
 iteil before. 
 
 be seen by 
 
 IS anybody 
 
 bleak and 
 
 3 Rosaleen 
 
 Alas I and 
 
 ast asleep. 
 
 wliispered 
 
 in vain ; 
 
 ion which 
 
 irl clasped 
 
 an herself 
 
 Hu.enpf^ of 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 THE END OF IT ALL. 
 
 HE CarlingfordH and the Freres came 
 back from the fancy ball; and then 
 and not till then, tho real alarm with 
 legard to Rosaleen an<l Nina was given. 
 Great and terrible was the excitement, and a party 
 was immediately formed to search for both girls in 
 the snow. 
 
 Nuivse told all she could with regard to Nina's 
 visit. 
 
 ' I told her that Miss Rosaleen was asleep in h-:^: 
 bed,' said nurse. ' It seems I was wroncf.' 
 
 No one listened much to poor distracted nurse; 
 but soon alter twelve o'clock that night a search- 
 party, well equipped with lanterns, brandy, and 
 restoratives of every kind, started to look for the 
 missing girls. They did not find ihem for a couple 
 of hours; but Nina's lantern piovod a beacon, and 
 soon after two o'clock on that wintiy morning the 
 
two were found clasped in ea«h other's arms, both 
 cold, white, rtill, and sound asleep, at the bottom of 
 the (juarry. 
 
 The party had taken the precaution to brin- a 
 stretcher with them. This was piled with warm 
 l.lankets. The girKs were both hud upon it and 
 carried home. It was a miserable ho,ne-eomi„. 
 when Nina Carlingford and Rosaleen Frere were 
 brouoht into Dr Frere's house in the early morning 
 Everything possible was done for both girls; and 
 Nma, who had been a much shorter time exposed 
 to the influence of the snow, soon opened her eyes 
 She was cramped and stiff, but there was no danger 
 whatever. 
 
 Dr Frere ordered her to be put between hot 
 blankets, and she was laid in a bed in the very 
 same room with Rosaleen. But for some time there 
 was great fear with regard to the Dark Rosaleen • 
 and when at last, after repeated efforts, and every- 
 thmg possible had been done, she did open her eyes 
 It was with a sigh of intense thankfulness that 
 her mother bent over her. 
 
 •Oh Rose!' she said-' Rose, my little darling!' 
 
 Rosaleen looked round with a kind of wintry "smile 
 on her poor little face. 
 
 'But I have been very wicked. Is God going to 
 forgive me?' she asked. 
 
THE END OF IT ALL. 
 
 413 
 
 arms, both 
 e bottom of 
 
 to bring a 
 with warm 
 oil it and 
 3me-coriiing 
 Frero were 
 y morning, 
 gii-ls; and 
 tie exposed 
 I her eyes, 
 no danger 
 
 bween hot 
 the very 
 
 time there 
 Rosaleen ; 
 
 iiid every- 
 her eyes, 
 
 ness that 
 
 irh'nsf !' 
 itry smile 
 
 going to 
 
 • Yes, dearest. Don't try to talk any more.' replied 
 her father. 
 
 Yes, God would forgive; but the poor little girl 
 had a bitter punishment to live through, for her leg 
 was badly broken througl). her fall; and, owing to 
 the severe exposure, inflammation set in. For days 
 her life was despaired of. The only one in those 
 terrible days of alarm and danger who f.ould soothe 
 her, who could comfort her, who could help her to 
 bear her terrible pain, was Nina; for, beyond a 
 slight cold, Nina had felt no bad effects from her 
 sleep in the snow. She was determined not to leave 
 Rosaleen, and she proved an excellent nurse, capable, 
 full of resources, and unselfish. 
 
 Good trahied nurses were called in also; but on 
 Nina really rested the responsibility of soothing anJ 
 helping the child through this dreary time. 
 
 There came a night when the Freres and the 
 Carlingfords all thought that the Dark Rosaleen 
 was to be taken away from them for the fever 
 was running high, the agony was great, and the 
 poor child's strength was failing her. 
 
 'Oh, she must not die! she must not!' cried 
 Amy. ' Oh, why did I ever tease her about that 
 spelling ? ' 
 
 ' She is my own little half-tvvln ; it will kill me 
 if she dies,' sobbed Fred. 
 
And all the other children sat gloomily round 
 and wiped away their fast-falling tears. Then into 
 the midst of the scene came Nina. 
 
 'What is the good of going on like that?' she 
 said. 
 
 'Going on like what?' asked Peach, raising her 
 tear-stained face. 
 
 'Why, ciying and groaning and making other 
 people worse.' 
 
 'But we cannot help it; we have got some heart,' 
 said Amy in an almost snappish voice. 
 
 'Don't you think that this is the time to act? 
 Don't you think that this is the time to ask God to 
 spare Rosaleen .? Why don't you all kneel down and 
 praj ? That 's the thing you ought to do. Why 
 don't you all pray for Rosaleen instead of crying 
 and groaning, and making yourselves quite useless ? ' 
 
 Nina's words had a stimulating effect. There was 
 silence for a moment; then Prudence said in a 
 humble tone : 
 
 •I seem to have no words; I feel quite choked 
 with sorrow and misery. Will yon pray for us, 
 Nina ? ' 
 
 Nina was very shy with regard to her re .gioa?: 
 feelings; but this was not a moment to indui-- in 
 any frailty. She felt that she must act, and quickly. 
 So she knelt down, and tlie other children knelt 
 
THE ExNI) OF IT ALL. 
 
 415 
 
 y round 
 hen into 
 
 at ? ' she 
 
 3ing her 
 
 ig other 
 
 e heart,' 
 
 to act ? 
 ; God to 
 >wn and 
 . Why 
 crying 
 i.seless ? ' 
 lere was 
 d in a 
 
 choked 
 for us, 
 
 e vgioar 
 ui^^ in 
 juickl\\ 
 I knelt 
 
 round her; and she prayed aloud, and the others 
 prayed in their hearts, that God would spare the 
 Dark Rosaleen. And tlieii Nina went softly back 
 to the sickroom, and sat down quite comforted by 
 the little girls bed. 
 
 The child had fallen asleep, but the fever still 
 ran high. Her cheeks were crimson, her respirations 
 quick; her '^'ttle hand was burning hot to touch; 
 but Nina believed in that prayer. And when the 
 nurse shook her head, and the doctor came in and 
 looked grave, still the faith which that prayer had 
 roused in her heart kept it full of hope. 
 
 'I believe there will be a turn for thn better in 
 the moi-ning,' she said to the doctor; and the doctor 
 looked at her ir some amazement, and almost dis- 
 pleasure. For whu. could pretty Nina know about 
 illness and danger and death ? 
 
 But, after all, the doctors and the nurse were 
 wrong, and Nina was right; for towards morning 
 the little face calmed down, the fever-flush faded 
 from the cheeks, and the great buj ling heat left 
 the aching limbs ; and before another evening passed 
 Rosaleen was out of danger. 
 
 After this there came a slow recovery, and it was 
 weeks and even months before the Dark Rosaleen 
 was like her own gay self again. Nina, who was 
 now her constnnt companion, begged of her mother 
 
isi:!;'!^ 
 
 m 
 
 ! ? 
 
 r:;i 
 
 416 
 
 THE 1 ND OF IT ALL, 
 
 to let her give up her classes for this term and sf,ay 
 with Rosaleen. 
 
 In the spring of the y.ar th. two went away 
 together with a nurse to the seas.de; and when 
 the Easter holidays came round once n.ore Rosaleen 
 was her old .self. 
 
 'We'll ..o 2,ome for the Easter holidays.' said 
 Nina, speakiv.^. to ihe little girl. 'Do you re.nen.ber 
 the Easter ot iast year?' 
 
 'Oil, dont I?' answered Rosaleen, her fac- more 
 
 brilliant, more full of health than ever, her spirits as 
 
 gay. her laugh as hearty ; and yet a difference all 
 
 over her; her eyes were thoughtful, the lips sweet, 
 
 tlie little nature unselfish. 
 
 'Oh Nina! Nina!' she said, 'it was a year ago 
 that our great fight began.' 
 'It is over for ever,' replied Nina. 
 'And you are my dearest, dearest friend,' said 
 the Dark Rosaleea 
 
 tri! 
 
 I" 
 1 
 
 THE END. 
 
I and s^ay 
 
 'ent away 
 ind when 
 
 ! i^iOHiileen 
 
 lys,' said 
 rejueniber 
 
 'ace more 
 spiiits as 
 srence all 
 ps sweet, 
 
 year ago 
 
 nd/ said