Rosy

e be-fair-ha

iercing, or rathe

not for, so she

D P

ce the evening before, and Martha had begged her to ask Colin to tell her all about it. "And what's the matter wi

t doesn't indeed. I've had far worse lumps than that at school hund

t?" said

spoils everything. Just this Easter holiday

face grew s

sy that struck you-that hit

teased her, mother. I told her she was afraid of having her nose put

xplained to you about Beata coming, and that I hoped it might

very vexed

"I wish I could leave off teasing; but at school, you know,

g to learn not to mind it. But I don't think teasing will d

," said

boy," said

uch a stupid name. I

lled her Bee," said his mother;

h better," said Colin,

a little when she said it, "if you call her 'Bee,' don't make

y I would never have thought of

go back to India, and it had been settled that their little girl was to be left at home with her grandmother. But just a short time before they were to leave, her grandmother had a bad illness, and it was found she would not be well enough to take charge of the child. And in the puzzle about what they should do with her, it had struck her father and mother th

e talking about it, "and not one bit spoilt. I think it is sure to do

that she wouldn't like Beata, and that her coming was on purpose to vex her, Rosy, as it seemed to her that most things which she had to do with in the world we

s often spoilt by her exactingness. Fixie must love her as much or better than anybody-he must be all hers, or else she would not love him at all. That was how she sometimes talked to him, and it puzzled and frightened him-he was such a very little fellow, you see. And mother had never told him that loving other people too made hi

her, and settled in her own mind that it was be

erself, "it would have been different. But about Beata I want

little girl. There was one thing about her wh

e their mother, as they always did, a little a

ng, do you know? That was why I didn't come to see you in the nursery. I am goi

k you," s

nt on speaking because she noticed the look in Rosy's face, but she wanted n

Rosy. "If you say I must, I suppose

said her mother, smiling a little sadly, as she drew Rosy to her.

can love me, for Martha's always saying if I do naughty th

off doing naughty things

as spoilt at auntie's, and now I'm too old to chang

, "who ever said so to you? Wher

she added, as if she didn't quite like owning it, but felt that she must. "He said I was spoilt before you came hom

good, and if you see and understand that when you are not good it is nobody's fault but your own, you will surely try to be better. You

up my hand and I hit Colin, 'cos I got in a temp

t now, Rosy dear?" asked

f how naughty everybody thought her, how it was no use her trying to be good and all the rest of it-and she had told over what she had done in a hard, unsorry way, almost on purpose. But now, when h

hink I was, but I think

nt a little further. "What made you so vexed

ask me. It was because of something

ta?" asked

't want her to come-I don't want any little girl to come, because I know I shan't l

won't answer you. I will not say any more about Beata-you know what I wish, and what is right, and so I will leave it

to kiss her, when

on't think I can take the kiss like tha

ruck her. She bent down again and kissed the child. "I give you the kiss

to please you, mother, abo

urther notice, only in her own heart she sa

y about the little girl who was to come to live with them. And now and then, in her cross and unhappy moods,

verybody loves her," thought Rosy, "

d you about, rather more peaceably than before, till one evening

s uncle; he is bringing her to-morrow. She wil

, without saying any more, she k

rning with a strange jumble of feelings in her mind, and

colour of one's hair or the shape of one's nose, it does a great deal; it makes the cross lines smooth away, or, rather, prevents their coming, and it certainly gives the eyes a look that nothing else gives, does it not? But Rosy's face, alas! was very often spoilt by frowns, and dark looks often took away the prettiness of her eyes, and this was the more p

no and speak French far better than me. I don't mind that. I like pretty people, and I don't mind people being clever. What I don't like is, people who are dedfully good always going on about how good they are,

, who were expected very soon. And Manchon was on the rug as usual, quite peacefully inclined, poor thing, only Rosy could never believe any good of Manchon, and when he purred, or, as she call

er came in, leading Fixie by

he said. "That's right. The

ie. "Oh, Fixie will be so

Rosy. "We're not to call

but her mother knew she put that on someti

aturally-when his mother's warning came back to his mind. He caught her eye, and he saw that she couldn't help smiling and he found it so difficult not to burst out lau

"I'm sure-" but she too stopped, for just then

r. "Will you come to the do

d the footman was handing out one or two umbrellas, rugs, and so on. Then a gray-haired gentleman, whom Rosy, peeping through a side window, did not waste her attention on-"He is quite old," she said to herself-got out, and lifted down

her own face for Fixie's mother to kiss. At once, almost before shaking hands wit

wn little girl-no stranger, however sweet-and you will, on your side, try to please me, will you not?" So Rosy's face, though grave, had a nice loo