"Bessie, my dear, what are you doing here? Why are not you gone
out?"
"I don't want to go out."
"I thought they were to have a great game at whoop-hide."
"I don't like whoop-hide. Johnnie pulls the clothes off my back."
"My dear, I hope you are not staying in because they called you those
foolish names. It was all in good humour."
"It was not kind," said Elizabeth, her throat swelling. "It was not
true."
"Perhaps not; but you did not speak to give your reasons; and who
could tell how good they might be?"
"I've a right to my secrets as well as they have," said the little
maiden.
Miss Fosbrook looked kindly at her, and she turned wistful eyes on
the young governess.
"Miss Fosbrook, will you keep a secret?"
"That I will."
"I want my money to buy some card-board--and some ribbon--and some
real true paints. I've got some vermilion, but I want some real good
blue. And then I want to make some beautiful bands with ties--like
what Papa has for his letters--for all Mamma's letters in her desk.
There's a bundle of Papa's when he was gone out to the Crimean War,
and that's to have a frigate on it, because of the Calliope--his
ship, you know; and there's one bundle of dear Aunt Sarah's--that's
to have a rose, because I always think her memory is like the rose in
my hymn, you know; and Grandmamma, she's to have--I think perhaps I
could copy a bit of the tower of Westminster Abbey out of the print,
because one sees it out of her window; and, oh! I thought of so many
more, but you see I can't do it without a real good paint-box, and
that costs three and sixpence.
Pages:
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43