’Oh, she knows her name all right, it’s her station in life she doesn’t seem to be clear about, thinks she’s the Queen of England, I think, same as her mother does.’ ’Ross, darling, you don’t really think that she’s——’ ’Oh, you silly little ass, Meg.’ ’But I have views on the way a child should be trained.’ ’Then for goodness’ sake get rid of them at once.’ ’But all the same,’ I persisted, ’I do hate the way modern children are brought up. They’ve no manners, they are such little pigs at meals, and they’re always served first.’ ’Well, the Gidger isn’t.’ ’No, but that’s not your fault, Ross.’ I remembered the first time she came down to lunch I told Sam to serve me first, and then Ross, and then the Poppet. He agreed, and said I was ’Quite right, miss.’ So he served me first and then went to Ross, who said, ’You’ve forgotten the other lady, Sam,’ and so, without a word to me, Sam upset all my carefully arranged plans for my daughter’s edifying and upbringing, and went to the Gidger just because his master told him to. Ross and I had words about it afterwards, and he said I was a silly little ass, and kissed me for some extraordinary reason. ’Doesn’t Michael think she is a disappointing kiddie?’ said Ross, breaking in upon my reverie, but as I didn’t answer the conversation changed to oysters. So the Gidger came down to lunch to-day, and as he is better Brown waited, and in a fit of mental aberration he handed a dish of stewed apricots to her before he had been to me. ’No, thank you,’ said the Poppet. ’It’s apricots, miss,’ said Brown. ’Miss’ never having in all the years of her long life been known to refuse them. ’Apricots, miss,’ said Sam again. ’No, thank you, muvver isn’t served.’ So I was served, and then the lady who thinks she is the Queen of England condescended to allow her faithful henchman to give her apricots, and my brother, with his usual habit of talking backwards, said,— ’You see, Meg, how little you know about bringing them up. If you really had "views," such a thing couldn’t have happened. You were always such a nice child yourself, so pretty when you were a baby, such a pity that you’ve altered so.’ Then in a tone of most awful consternation he added, ’Why, Gidger?’ for my daughter was in tears. ’Uncle Woss’ was beside her in a moment, kneeling humbly to the ’Queen of England,’ ’Darling, what _is_ it?’ he cried distractedly. ’You said muvver wasn’t pwetty now.’ ’Oh,’ said Ross to me, ’could you go outside, woman, while I comfort this lady?’ So I went outside. After he had consoled the lady she went off with Sam, but she wasn’t quite happy, so he kneeled down and took a turn at comforting. ’I assure you, miss, you’ve not the slightest occasion to worry. Your uncle always does say just the reverse of what he means—gentlemen do——’ ’But are you sure he thinks muvver is pwetty now?’ said the Poppet. ’Certainly, miss, not a doubt about it.’ ’Do _you_ think she’s pwetty, Bwown?’