Rosy

ation's my

on is

seemed very quiet without him, and everybody felt sorry he had gone. The day

?" said Rosy to Beat

d," said Bee, but t

tending." She was so afraid of vexing anybody that she had got into the habit of agreeing with every one without really thinking over what they meant, and she w

days after lessons had begun again, "I d

when you are grown-up if you cannot count-everybody needs t

" replied Rosy, "somebody must do it for me.

ut Beata noticed, and so, you may be sure, did Rosy, that they had no arithmetic that morn

But she said nothing. When lessons were over and they were alone,

ously, "we'll have no mo

in earnest. Miss Pink won't leav

osy. "She'll have t

l," sa

she doesn't giv

for them, and if she still doesn't, then I'll tell you

Rosy, standing before he

my mother wants me to learn very well, and if Miss

know there's nothing puts me in such a temper as those horrible sums. I know now how much your kindness is worth," and what she would have gone on

he was, and the rest of the day passed quietly. But the next morning it was the same thing. When they came

Miss Pink, you

ve a sort of

w, get your slate-see there is dear Beata all ready with he

u so yesterday, and you know I mean what I say. If Bee

ked from one

Rosy," said Bee. "We are at the same pl

But I'm sure you're only joking, Rosy dear. We won't say anything about the sums to-day, an

l right if you try to make me do

e night, who had made her so happy by talking about trying to be good. And how many days the silly dispute might have gone on, there is no telling

or Miss Pinkerton did not live in the house, she only came every morning at nine o'clock-"

"oh dear, no-Miss Beata is very good indeed. Everything's very ni

t looked to her as if everything was "very nice." Beata looked grave and troubled, Miss Pinkerton flurried, and the

lay on the table. "We've just finished a chapter of our English his

n tell such stories! Everything is not quite nice, mamma, for I've just been telling Miss Pink I won't do any sums, and

gave no signs of trembling for herself. "Is that a way in which I can allow you to speak? You must apologise to Miss

ce. "I'd 'pologise to you, mamma, if you like, but I wo

ut I must say that you should have told me of all this before. It is most mistaken kindness to Rosy to hide her disobedience and rudeness, and it makes things much more difficult

equest that Rosy might be forgiven, but something in Mrs. Vincent's look stopped her.

ld be all right in a day or two. I'm sure, dear Rosy, you'll tell your mamma that you did not

. And you might know by this time, Miss Pink, t

her own room. Mrs. Vincent told Miss Pinkerton to finish th

, and Miss Pink by t

n go on teaching her. She's not like you, dear Beata. How happily and peacefu

ked ver

o Rosy to her face that you think her so naughty, and so I don't think you should s

to her. And I don't want to lose this engagement, for it's so near my home, and my m

't help being sorry for Miss Pinkerton when she spoke of her mother being ill. And Miss Pink was re

rs. Vincent called Bee t

for Rosy to be again in disgrace. And she has been so much gentler and more obedient lately, I am really ve

ped, remembering her promise. "Don't you think she wi

ent. "I will see her myself in a little while. Yes, I

appily. And Rosy shut up in her own room was thinking with a sort of bitter vex

to go and tell stories to mamma-I hate her, nasty, pretending thing. It's all her fault; and then she'll be going on praising Bee, and making everybody think how good Bee is and how naughty I am. I wish Bee hadn't come. I didn't mind it so much before. I wonder if she told mamma as she said she would, and if that was why mamma came in to the schoolroom this m

in myself, thank you, Martha," she was saying, and in a moment Mrs. Vincent came in, carrying the glass of milk and dry biscuit

her, gravely, as she put it down on the

ked at h

Bee that made you come into the schoolroom just at sums time?

ghty conduct; but Rosy's mother was different from many. She knew that Rosy was a strange character to deal with; she hoped and believed that in her real true heart her little girl did feel how wr

said, "no, Beata had not said one word about you or your lessons to me. I came in just then quite by accident. I

ays been-not to be obliged to keep to her terrible resolutions of "never forgiving," and so on; b

red, confusedly, "she said if I wouldn't

disgrace in any underhand way. But I won't say any more about Bee, Rosy. I must tell you that I have decided not to punish

osy, forgetting her tempers

o tell our old friend the moment he arrived that our Rosy was in disgrace. So you may go now and ask Martha to dress you neatly. Mr. Furnivale may be here by luncheon-time, and no more will be said about this unh

not a child that cried easily. She threw her arms round her mother's neck,

try. I will do my sums as muc

what,

I want to do them, not to please her, mamma-she

ing her, doing the lessons she gives you by my wish, is pleasing me," said her mother, though

d Rosy, "I

other felt happier about he

tle girls and Fixie went down to the drawing-room at the sound of the first

er and a little bit rosier than this time last year. And this is your sister that I don't know," he went on, turning to Rosy, "and-why,

her. I don't think I have be

Rosy's mother. "I knew Cecilia would be so glad to know Bee was with us

She had no idea of it. And so when you all come to pay us that f

, old Mr. Furnivale, and she had be

?" she asked, in her

land before long, and have a nice house like yours, and

cilia Furnivale, and hearing all her messages, Rosy, who had never seen her, and who was quite a stranger

f. "Nobody notices me-nobody cares whether I am here or not. I won't go to stay w

Vincent's having forgiven her, slipped behind the others and took Rosy's hand in hers, saying brightly, "Won't it be ni

that sort of pretending. You know quite we

distressed, and puzzled aga