Rosy

led the latter 'lit

, Nelson," said Miss Vincent that evening

'am," replied Nelson, in a

sure it was by candlelight, and I am very near-sighted, but I don't thin

, gone! Why, this evening, that Martha-or whatever they call her-a' upsetting thing I call her-spoke to her that short about having left the nursery door open because Master Fixie chose to fancy he was cold, that I wonder any young lady w

t, "but surely she can't be unhappy. She would have told me-and

they call her, at all. She's far too good, by way of being too good, I mean, for a child. Give me Miss Rosy's tempers and fidgets-I'd rather have them than those smooth-faced ways. And she's come round Miss Rosy somehow. Why, ma'am, you'd hard

child away from her own parents. All the same, I'm very glad to have come to see for myself, and if I find out anyt

t she was learning to love and trust Beata, she did not like to let her know how many wrong and jealous ideas Nelson had put in her head, and so before Beata she was very cold to the maid. But in this Rosy was wrong. Nelson had taught her much that had done her harm, but still s

er the morning lessons were over, which prevented the two little girls having their usual hour's play in the garden, and Beata wandered abou

g me," she said to Bee as she passed her. "And Nelson'

oo simple and kind-hearted to think anything except that it was natural for Rosy to be glad to see her old nurse

, in the middle of luncheon, "did you

swering for Rosy, "she did,

d always had a good deal of spite at Nelson, even long ago, when Nelson had had so m

said Miss Vincent, seeming a little an

a lot of money," persisted Rosy. "Nelson never

. Vincent thought Nelson too free in her way of speaking, and she

king this, Rosy's mother looked up and said to her quietly, "Rosy, I don't think you should talk so much. And you, Bee, are al

e at all, Miss Beata. You're not like my chatter-

hem to vex Bee, but something in the tone in which t

tly. She was anxious to say something, not to se

o say to each other after being so long without meeting," and Mis

ou all about the fête there is going to be at Summerla

ill be, no doubt, only I should have liked my pet to

n she heard it that she had not told her aunt that her being the queen had been thought of at all. She loo

n. "I think they will be very pretty. Lady Esther has ordered them in London with her own little girls'." And then she tol

ttle girls went out t

" said Bee, "it seems to me as if

s only in auntie's room for about a qu

the nursery, for he's got a cold and he mayn't go out, and you don't know what a great lot I read. And oh, Rosy, Fixi

may have them for half an

hem to him now?" said

run first. Let's see which of us will get to the

ere playing merrily, laughing and calling to each other, when a messen

"you must please to come in at onst. Miss Vinc

osy, "I don't thi

Bee, though she could n

going to Summerla

ish you were going too. But I'll tell you all I hear about

me weeks ago, and Bee, feeling this, tried to be content. But the garden seemed dull

others of their own, and then there can't be strange aunts who are not their aunts." But then she thought to herself how much better it was f

e," she then decided, and sh

y had been dressing in a hurry for her drive-but Bee knew where the beads were kept, and, opening the drawer, she found them easily. She was going away with them in her hand when a sharp voice startled her. I

and Bee, from surprise at her tone and manner, felt hersel

r Fixie-something for him to play

y that was not at all nice. "And w

id Bee, opening her eyes, "I would not

them rubbish, not knowing what they were; so she said nothing more, and Bee went quietly away, no

wonderful beads, and making up little fanciful stories about the fairies who were supposed to live in them. Then when Fixie seemed to have had enough of the beads, Bee and he took them back to Rosy's room and put them carefully away, and then returned to the nursery, where they set to work to make a house with the chairs and Fixie's little table. The nursery was not

f'oor," and he pointed to a small, dark, round hole. It was made by what is called a knot in the woo

oking up at Bee and then down again at the mysterious hol

a la

," she said. "At the most, it can't go farth

ll space left behind the wood planking which make the floor of one

THERE DOWN THERE, DOES

"We don't walk and jump on the ceiling, but we do on the floor,

he went on, "I would like to see down into this hole. If I had a long piece of 'ting I could fish down i

re are no frogs or snakes. Th

nd when Bee nodded, "Why don't you say mous

said Bee, "one has to use the

ed rather grum

went on talking about the knot hole. "We might get a stick to-

a piece of 'ting. I fink you'se welly unkind, Bee, to hurt the poor little mouses," and

atter with Fixie," she sai

iously. But tea seemed to do Fixie good, and he grew brighter ag

not come back to the other children, but went into her aunt's room to look over some things they had bought in the little town they had passed, coming home.

big people's dinner-time that Rosy came back to the nursery, swinging her hat on her arm, and looking rather

sy," said Martha, "it's getting al

e the Rosy of some months ago. "What does it

heart was full. She had been alone, except for poor little Fixie, all the afternoon; and the last hour or so she

to bed," re

le?" said Bee; "you said you wo

enly she added, sharply, "What were y

up a meaning; she was thoughtful and clear-headed but rather slow, and when any one spoke sharply it made her stil

wasn't to tell you she'd told me, but I told her I would. I don't like m

me back t

for Fixie," she said, her voic

gain? And did you not touch

you, how dare you speak to me like that? As if I would steal your things. You have no right to speak

out or speak to Rosy when she knocked at the door and begged her to do so. But she let Martha in to help

rtha gave a sigh. "I'm sorry for Miss Rosy's mamma," she added, as she bid Bee good-night. And the words went home to Bee's loving, grateful little heart. It was very seld