"Bruvver," she said at last, "I can't tell you yet. I must fink. But I'm
_almost_ sure it's speaking now. I'm almost sure it's saying us must
tell."

"Oh don't, don't, Pamela," cried poor Duke; "you mustn't say that. For I
can't--I am sure I can't--tell Grandmamma. And you won't tell without me
knowing, will you, sister?"

"For sure not," replied Pamela indignantly. "Us must do it togevver like
always. But there's Miss Mitten coming--I hear her. Wait till after
she's gone, bruvver, and then I'll tell you what I've been finking."

With this Duke was obliged to content himself. But he and Pamela took
care to put away in a shelf of the toy cupboard, where they would not be
seen, the remains of the broken bowl.

Miss Mitten had two very quiet and subdued little pupils that morning.
She noticed Duke's red eyes, but, not being on very intimate terms with
the children, for she was rather a formal young person, she said nothing
about them. Only when lessons were quite finished she told her pupils
they might tell their Grandmamma that they had been very good and
attentive.

"Your good Grandmamma will be pleased to hear this," she said, "for she
must be troubled about poor Nurse's being ill. I hope you will do your
best to give her no trouble you can possibly avoid," and with these
words Miss Mitten took her leave.

She had scarcely left when Biddy came to take the children out a walk,