And even before Ysenda became the hostess on these occasions, she felt that she might reveal to him the secret of the condition which in his generosity he had unconsciously fulfilled. "Peter told me what it was," she said. "The magic feast is only bestowed on him who invites as his guests those poorer than himself. But had you known this, the charm would have been lost. Your motive was pure kindness--free from all selfishness, therefore you succeeded where Hodge and even Giles, good-natured though he is, failed!" [Illustration: "Your motive was pure kindness--free from all selfishness, therefore you succeeded."] "All the same, sweetheart," said Michael, "I feel that I owe my happy fortune to _you_, as well as to dear old Peter and to the 'good people' themselves. May I always have a grateful heart and remember those whose lives are less favoured than mine." The Weather Maiden Once upon a time--it does not matter if it was a long ago "once," or not a long ago one; it does not matter what country it was in, whether far off or near at hand--it was just a "once upon a time," somewhere and somewhen--a little girl sat crying quietly but very sadly, all by herself in a queer room which I will describe. But first I must tell you that she was not crying from temper, or from having been naughty and now being sorry, no, she was just crying because she was lonely and unloved and in a sense friendless. And it had not always been so with her. Some years ago--to her they seemed many, for she was only twelve, but in reality they were but few--she had had kind parents, father and mother both, who loved their only child very dearly, though she was not a very pretty or "taking" little girl. She was small for her age and more thoughtful than clever or amusing. And now that the dear ones whom she belonged to were gone, and her only home as an orphan, and a poor orphan, was with cousins, who, though good worthy people, had adopted her out of duty and did not understand the shy silent child, or care to do so, it is not to be wondered at that she grew shyer and silenter and often seemed what she was really far from being, stupid and slow and even sullen.