"Ses," said the child, kissing her in return, "but please don't skeese
Fix _kite_ so tight," and he wriggled a little to get out of her
grasp. Instantly the frown came back to Rosy's changeable face.

"You cross little thing," she said, half flinging her little brother
away from her, "you don't love Rosy. If you did, you wouldn't call her
cuddling you _skeesing_."

Fix's face puckered up, and he looked as if he were going to cry. But
just then steps were heard coming, and a boy's voice called out, "Fix,
Fix, what a time you are! If Rosy isn't there, never mind her. Come
along. There's something good for tea."

"There's Colin," said Fix, turning as if to run off to his brother.
Again Rosy's mood changed.

"Don't run away from Rosy, Fix," she said. "Rosy's not cross, she's
only troubled about somefing Fix is too little to understand. Take
Rosy's hand, dear, and we'll go up to tea togever. Never mind
Colin--he's such a big rough boy;" and when Colin, in his turn,
appeared at the door, Rosy and Fix were already coming towards it,
hand-in-hand, Rosy the picture of a model little elder sister.

Colin just glanced at them and ran off.

"Be quick," he said, "or I'll eat it all before you come. There's
fluff for tea--strawberry fluff! At least I've been smelling it all
the afternoon, and I saw a little pot going upstairs, and Martha said
cook said it was for the children!"