bothered with old Stevie to-day." He raised his voice, and ran to meet
her. "You are not to give us any lessons to-day, Stevie," he said. "It
is a holiday, a great, _big_ holiday--it is a sort of birthday. We
were all eating strawberries, for Iris said we were not to go back to
the house."

"Oh, my poor, dear, little boy!" said Miss Stevenson. She was a
kind-hearted, although old-fashioned, governess. She bent down now and
kissed Orion, and tried to take one of his very dirty little hands in
hers.

"My dear little children--" she began again.

"Please, Miss Stevenson, don't pity us," said Iris.

Miss Stevenson started.

"My dear Iris," she said, "you don't realize what it means."

"I do," answered Iris stoutly.

"And I know what Iris means," said Apollo; "I know quite well. I feel
miserable; I have got a pain in my throat, and I cannot eat my
strawberries; but Iris says we ought not fret, for mother is much
better off."

"Then, if mother is much better off, we ought to have a holiday, same
as if it was a birthday; ought we not, Miss Stevenson?" said Diana,
puckering up her face and looking, with her keen black eyes, full at
her governess.