better."

"Yes, thank you." And a smile began to dimple about Rose's
mouth, as she remembered her retreat under the bed-cover.

Feeling that he had been received with distinguished marks of
attention, Steve strolled away with his topknot higher than ever,
and Prince Charlie pranced across the room, saying in a free and
easy tone

"Mamma sent her love and hopes you will be well enough to come
over for a day next week. It must be desperately dull here for a
little thing like you."

"I'm thirteen and a half, though I do look small," cried Rose,
forgetting her shyness in indignation at this insult to her newly
acquired teens.

"Beg pardon, ma'am; never should have guessed it." And Charlie
went off with a laugh, glad to have struck a spark out of his meek
cousin.

Geordie and Will came together, two sturdy eleven and twelve
year olders, and, fixing their round blue eyes on Rose, fired off a
question apiece, as if it was a shooting match and she the target.

"Did you bring your monkey?"

"No; he is dead."