'How do you mean, Biddy?' asked her father.

'I'm very tiresome to teach; often I'm very cross indeed,' replied the
child complacently.

'But you _need_ not be; you can help being so if you try,' said Mr.
Vane.

'Well, I don't like trying, I suppose it's that,' she answered.

For the moment her father thought it wiser to say no more.

Mr. Redding happened to call that morning, and at luncheon Mrs. Vane
told Alie and Bride that she was going to Seacove, and they might go
with her.

Alie's eyes sparkled.

'Are you going to----' she began, and her mother seemed to understand
her without any more words.

'Yes,' she said, 'I have got all the measures.'

'And oh, mamma,' asked Biddy, too full of her own ideas to notice
these mysterious sayings, '_will_ you go to Pier Street and let us
show you where Celestina lives. And if you _could_ think of something
you wanted to buy, just any little thing, a pencil or some envelopes
or anything--they've got _everything_--we might go into the shop, and
I _daresay_ if the nice mamma saw you, she'd ask you to step into the