Girls of the Forest

een added to from time to time-fresh additions jutting out here and running up there. There were all sorts of unexpected nooks and corners to be found in the old hou

s there were no papers, only discolored walls, which at one time had been gay with paint and rendered beautiful with pictures. The windows were destitute of curtains; the carpets on the floors were reduced to holes and patches. The old picture

no need to go into the musty, fusty old house. T

m giving directions to old John to have the trap patched up and the harness mended. And John is

ads together, and we mean to let her see what we think of her and her interfering ways. The idea of Aunt Sophia interfering bet

as dreadfully cross at having to go, and the one mean thing she ever did in all her life was to make the remark she did. She said it was

of course he knows how to manage us. Oh, here he comes-the angel! Let's plant him down in our midst. Daisy, put that littl

where an elderly gentleman, with a stoop, gray hair hanging over his should

e got to come here at

asped the other, Briar danced in front, and so

cried Briar. "Down you squ

acles, wiped them and gazed

" he said. "You have interrupted me

of your neglected-your shamefully neglected-daughters. Ten of them, Paddy, all running wild in the Forest glades. Aren't you ashamed of yo

could not dream of it. I remember quite well she came here once

quite well, for you got the letter. How l

line; I assure you, my darling,

r, Paddy-do,

as fair; her figure was naturally so good that no amount of untidy dressing could make it look awkward. Her hair was golden and soft. It was less trouble to wind it up in a thick rope and hairpin it at the back of her head

idea what her appearance is like. My memory of her

s 'conventional'

rling of my heart. Tell us some more. Aunt Sophia is fashionable and conventional. We can lo

member. It was a good many year

iar, turning to Renny. "Look

n again as Verena's young hand pushed him into his seat. "I have just

o know about it," said Briar

er appearance!" s

ppearanc

s; the lady who is

she must not come. This cannot b

directions to fetch her. N

ldren. I haven't t

Renny

Verena, "is sh

ink; perha

is neither old nor young. P

ember, dear. A most

ena. "Paddy, must we put on our best dresses when s

let me go away now! Only to think that she will be here to-morr

ould call her Step, which means step-mother. She was so d

e! The poor woman! I'd sooner have mar

o, and be happy, feeling that your daughters will look after you. You are

ing figure. Mr. Dale shambled off, and disapp

e sleeps, poor angel! It certainly is our bounden duty to keep him away from Aunt Sophia. What a terror she must be! Fancy th

Nurse is the woman to help us. Forewarned is for

to her at onc

overed with weeds and cobble-stones. There were tumble-down stables and coach-houses, hen-houses, and buildings, useful and otherwise, surrounding the yard;

. "Don't snatch them up and kiss them, Briar. P

iss Verena,"

ld face and looked out of deep-set,

t, my darl

r knees and get round you in a little circl

ing old. It doesn't seem to me to matter much now whether a body's pretty or not, or whether you dress beautiful, or whethe

ul bodies, and our souls ought to be more beautiful still. Wh

ream I were dreaming of the funeral of your poor d

ce and big blue eyes. Marjorie was between three and four years old, and was a very beautiful little child. Verena, unable to

orbid all the rest of you girls to touch

ild with a round face-not a pretty chi

e nursery until she is quite eight years old. She is so much the cleverest of us that she'd

. "It's about her, and she's coming to-morrow. I t

d is alluding to Miss Tredgold. She haven't no

othing in the world will prevent her doing so. The thi

nurse, "as soon as ever she

d Verena. "Now, do put on your conside

l try to turn us into fine ladies, and she'll talk about the dresses we should have, and she'll want fathe

need her food well cooked, and that she won't get at The Dales. She'll need her room pretty and spick-and-span; she won't get much of that sort o