"There is nothing I would not do, Di, to be a real little mother to you." "All wight," answered Diana; "you just mind me now and then that I is called after the bwave lady what lived long, long ago. Is that the second gong? I'se desp'ate hungy. Let's wun downstairs, p'ease, Iris." Diana entered the dining room with her face all aglow with smiles, the rich color back again in her cheeks, and her black eyes dancing. Even Mr. Dolman gave a gasp of relief when he saw her. Even Mrs. Dolman felt a slight degree of satisfaction. She did not intend to be hard on the children--in her heart of hearts she was quite resolved to make them not only good, but also happy. "Well, my dear little girl," she said, drawing Diana to her side, "and so you are sorry for what you said?" "Awfu' sossy," answered Diana, in a cheerful voice. "Then you beg my pardon, and you won't be naughty again?" "I begs yous pardon, Aunt Jane," said Diana. She looked very attentively up and down her relation's figure as she spoke. "Poor Aunt Jane, she's awfu' stout," murmured Diana, under her breath. "I must get a good sharp arrow--oh, yes! words is nothing." Mrs. Dolman drew out a chair near herself. "You shall sit near me, Diana, and I will help you to your dinner," she said. "I hope in future you will really try to be a very good little girl." Diana made no reply to this, but when her aunt piled her plate with nourishing and wholesome food, she began to eat with appetite. Towards the end of the meal she bent over towards Mrs. Dolman, and said in a confiding voice: "Has you got woods wound here?" "Yes, my dear; there are some nice woods about a mile away." "I'd like to go there this afternoon, please, Aunt Jane. I has 'portant business to do in those woods." Diana looked round the table very solemnly as she said these last words. Philip could not help laughing. "Hush, Philip! I won't have Diana laughed at," said Mrs. Dolman, who for some reason was now inclined to be specially kind to the little girl. "If you would really like to spend the afternoon in the woods, Diana, I see nothing against it," she remarked. "You are all having a holiday, and as to-morrow lessons will of course be resumed, I do not see why your wish should not be gratified. Miss Ramsay, you will of course accompany the children, and, Lucy, my dear, you can have the pony chaise, if you promise to be very careful. You can take turns to sit in it, children. And what do you say to asking cook to put up a few bottles of milk and some cake and bread and butter--then you need not return home to tea?" "That would be delightful, mamma," said Lucy, in her prim voice. "Thank you, mamma," said Mary. "French, my dears; French!" said Miss Ramsay. "As it is a holiday, Miss Ramsay, the children are allowed to tender their thanks to me in the English tongue," said Mrs. Dolman. Miss Ramsay bowed and slightly colored. "Is you going with us?" asked Diana, fixing her dark eyes full upon the governess' face.