Girls of the Forest

y hand, which Miss Tredg

" she said. "Don't paw me. I

words, and the red which suffused her face went right round

he said to herself; "but, all the

, flung it wide, and c

comes Aunt So

air-Mr. Dale was stil

s name?" said Miss Sophia. "Do you mean

o," said

said Verena, who

Pauline, who stood just behind Verena, while

Dale's sanctum. Miss Tredgold gazed around her, her face

was the direct call of duty. I shall stay here as long as I am wanted. My mission will be to bring order out of chao

, that is hard on us!

o notice. You may struggle as you will, but I am the stronger. Oh! here comes-- Is it possible? My dear Henry, what years it is since we met! Don't you

her brother-in-law. Mr. Dale pu

" asked Miss Tredgold. "O

Mr. Dale. To tell the truth, he was the last sort of person anybody would care to kiss. His face resembled a piece of parchment, being much withered and wrinkled a

can love each other without these marks of an obsolete and forgo

re an indignity which the miserable man was sc

ve a conviction that your father and I would have a more comfortable conversation if you we

n, it would be be

terribly rude, but he made an

be very frank. I must tell her quite plainly that she cannot stay. It

pe, going last, turned a plump and

e did of the others. When the last pair of feet had vanis

oing that for?"

have a quiet word with you. I have come here-I wil

me, Sophia!

yet, but I must say frankly that I never came across more terribly neglected young people. Their clothes are in rags, they are by no means perfectly clean in their persons, and they look half-starved. Henry, you ought to be ashamed of yourself! I wonder my poor sister doesn't tu

do not think the children are neglected; they are well, and no one is ever unkind to them. There is no doubt that we are poor. I am unable to have the house done up as poor Alic

have no doubt of that

adies of your age do. I must be as frank with you as you are with me. You

again," said Miss Sophia. "Thank goodne

y!" murmure

u said? Do you li

straight before you that you will consider

the circumstances, and however great th

me considerably. But I must speak to you again. I am busy

ine on yo

y times more valuab

t, may

an.' Bowen is quite wrong in his translation; I a

y that it will be no treat to live with you. If it were not for my sister I would leave this house and let you and your family go your own w

can darn quite nicely, and she knows a little about plain needlework. She turned a skirt of her

ou man!" said

eir needles. They are thoroughly happy, and they are healthy. They do not feel the heat of summer or the cold of winter. The food is plain, and perhaps not over-abundant, but they are satisfied with it. They don't worry me much

am indifferent to them. But I mean the girls to eat their food like ladies, and I mean the food to be well cooked; and also everything in the house shall be clean, and there shall be enough furniture in the rooms for the ordinary requirements of ordinary gentlefolks. I shall stay here for at least three months, and if at the end of that time you d

e, Sophia. I mean that I-I have not

eve me, I have not come to this house to sit down with my hands before me. I have come to work, to renovate, to restore, to build up. Not a

od lady unlocked the

ampling of many feet, and it occurred to her that som

ng again," she said to herself.

g. The color came into her che

with a good deal," was her final com

enelope. She had brought in a quantity of fresh grasses, and had a piteous and beseeching expressi

a pretty place,

Penelope echoed the sigh in a most audible manner. Mi

she said. "What a

elp you," said Penelope. "I wor waiti

us word 'wor.' W-a-s,

n't want to,"

the meantime, child, can

f your hand?"

. You may go on in front of me. You have got clearly

nel

, that I do not pet children. I expect

hem, and at Christmas-time she used to dream of them, but very few had

e without them, will you give

gave a short

never make rash promises

ked aro

ls. A deal table for a dressing-table, the muslin covering much t

m is much the handsomest of all the rooms. We cal

to s

Penelope, who found this cons

nly, not paying any heed to the little girl's

e center was a large blue mug of very commo

said. "Take it away at once

allegiance to Aunt Sophia. She ran downstairs trembli

u took her to her room, did you? And what did sh

d Pauline's eager eyes, and the eyes of all

utterance to

"I maded up my mind that I just would; but I doesn't

ood as you can. She can't possibly stay l

my back all aches up to my neck. And she said she hated little girls that pawed her. Oh, I could cry! I did so want to be the goodest of you all, and I thought that I'd get s

are. Believe me, there are worse places than that despised nursery of yours. Now, I suppose we must g

," said Pauline. "I feel so desperate

ooking was bad for her-that it made her head and back ache. On the days when Betty's head or back ached there was never any dinner. The family did not greatly mind. They dined on these occasions on bread, either with butter or without. Betty managed to keep them without dinner certainly at the rate of once or twice a week. She always had an excellent excuse. Either the boiler was out of gear, or the range would not draught properly, or the coals we

gave notice whenever anything annoyed her. She never dreamed of acting up to her own words, so that nobody minded Betty's repeated notices

h out of this house, and never come back-no, not eve

so low in health as to condescend to a "hearl," and there had even been a m

n nurse repeated Betty's speech. "She would

ful put out, Miss Renny; there's no doubt of that.

as well taken care of, and must have sent forth glorious fires-fires meant to cook noble joints. On the present occasion the fire was dead out; the range looked a dull gray, piles of ashes lying in a forlorn manner at its feet. Betty was sitting at the opposite side of the kitchen, her feet on one chair and her capac

ding," said Verena.

im! He says she's the sort to turn the house topsy-turvy. I'll have none of her. I wo

ty!" sai

could. I like you well enough, young ladies, and your pa; and I'd stop

nd we must have something for dinne

lessed h

and so did nurse. We said we must have dinner to-night a

e want the sweep. I have a splitting headache, an

to do? We must ge

nd-butter? We've half-a-pound o

ere any

kitchen an hour ago. My hands were all of a

ul! Won't you put that pap

ious eyes, Verena having a frown between her charming brows, they made a picture tha

about it, Miss R

eet and pushed the tempting num

y the Dook of Mauleverer-Wolverhampton just as soon as

hing nice for din

er cook than I anywhere when I'm put on

y," said

oint in the larder, and I'll roast it, and you shall have a beautiful dinner. Now off

ty of strawberry-jam, and make a very large custard-pudding, for there's such

nursery you'll have your tea," said Vere

" said P

was, in an obstinate heap,

" she said. "I wor going to be kind, but I won't

he dining-room just for t

n; just for onc