"Oh yes," he replied, "it was all quite right. Poor Maud!--"

"That's my mamma," said Beata in a low voice, and Rosy, turning
towards her, saw that her eyes were full of tears.

"What a queer little girl she is!" thought Rosy, but she did not say
so.

"--Poor Maud," continued the gentleman. "It is a great comfort to her
to leave the child in such good hands."

"I hope she will be happy," said Rosy's mother. "I will do my best to
make her so."

"I am very sure of that," said Beata's uncle. "It is a great
disappointment to her grandmother not to have her with her. She is a
dear child. Last week at the parting she behaved like a brick."

Both little girls heard this, and Beata suddenly began speaking rather
fast, and Rosy saw that her cheeks had got very red.

"Do you think your mamma would mind if I went upstairs to take off my
hat? I think my face must be dirty with the train," said Beata.

"Don't you like staying here?" said Rosy, rather crossly. "_I_
think you should stay till mother tells is to go," for she wanted to
hear what more her mother and the gentleman said to each other, the
very thing that made Beata uncomfortable.