As she spoke, she twirled the little girl round, and began to pull
open the buttons of her dress. In doing this, her attention was
attracted by the bracelet looping up the right sleeve; 'Toinette
having, it will be remembered, pulled off the other, and left it at
home.

"Hi, hi! What sort o' gimcrack you got here?" exclaimed she, pulling
at it, until, as 'Toinette had done with the other, she broke the
links between two of the cameos, without unclasping the bracelet.

"Hi! that's pooty! Now, what a young wretch you be for to go and say
that ere's yourn!" added she severely, as she held the trinket out
of reach of the little girl, who eagerly cried,--

"It is, it is mine! Papa gave me both of them, 'cause it's my
birthday. They're my bracelets; only mamma said I was too little to
wear them on my arms like she does, and she tied up my sleeves with
them."

"Where's t'other one, then?"

"It's at home. I pulled it off 'cause I was going to be like Merry,
that weared a sun-bonnet, and didn't have any bracelets."

"Sun-bonnet! What d'ye want of a sun-bonnet, weather like this? I'll
give you my old hood; that's more like it, I reckon," replied the
hag, amused, in spite of herself, by the prattle of the child.
'Toinette hesitated.

"No," said she at last: "I guess you'd better give me my own very