once more, she led me to the big doll's bedstead, which, with its
pretty bed-clothes and white dimity furniture, looked tempting enough
to a sleeper of suitable size. It could not have supported one quarter
of my weight.

"'I have not made you a night-dress, my love,' Rosa continued; 'I am
not fond of my needle, you know. _You_ were not fond of your needle, I
think, I fear you must go to bed in your clothes, my dear.'

"'You are very kind,' I said, 'but I am not tired, and--it would not
bear my weight.'

"'Pooh! pooh!' said Rosa. 'My love! I remember passing one Sunday in it
with the rag-doll, and the Dowager, and the Punch and Judy (the amount
of pillow their two noses took up I shall never forget!), and the old
doll that had nothing on, because her clothes were in the dolls' wash
and did not get ironed on Saturday night, and the Highlander, whose
things wouldn't come off, and who slept in his kilt. Not bear you?
Nonsense! You must go to bed, my dear. I've got other things to do, and
I can't leave you lying about.'

"'The whole lot of you did not weigh one quarter of what I do,' I cried
desperately. 'I cannot and will not get into that bed; I should break
it all to pieces, and hurt myself into the bargain.'

"'Well, if you will not go to bed I must put you there,' said Rosa, and
without more ado, she snatched me up in her kid arms, and laid me down.

"Of course it was just as I expected. I had hardly touched the two
little pillows (they had a meal-baggy smell from being stuffed with