"I don't believe a bit that mother is never coming back," said Orion,
in a stout, determined voice.

He was a very handsome little fellow, strongly made--he had great big
black eyes like his father's. He was standing now with his Noah's ark
in his hand.

"It is unfeeling of you to want to play with your Noah's ark to-day,
Orion," said Apollo. "Now, do you think I would go into my laboratory
and try to make a thermometer?"

"Well, at least," said Diana, speaking with a sort of jerk, and her
small face turning crimson, "whatever happens, the animals must be
fed."

"Of course they must, Diana," said Iris, coming forward, "and, Apollo,
there is not the least harm in our going into the garden, and I don't
think there is any harm in Orion playing with his Noah's ark. Come,
children; come with me. We will feed all the pets and then go into the
arbor, and, if you like, I will tell you stories."

"What sort of stories?" asked Diana, in quite a cheerful voice. She
trotted up to her sister, and gave her her hand as she spoke. She also
was a finely made child, not unlike her name.

"I 'gree with Orion," she said. "I'm quite certain sure that mother is
coming back 'fore long. Fortune did talk nonsense. She said, Iris--do
you know what she said?--she said that in the middle of the night,
just when it was black dark, you know, a white angel came into the