"What's the matter with him?" asked Nelly. "Was he always lame?" "Oh, no!" said the nurse: "he got a fall when he was about six years old, and he's been lame ever since: he's twelve now. But I must go right back: he don't like to be alone a minute. Will you come across?" Rob looked at Nelly. "Mamma said we might go this afternoon," he said: "do you think she'd care if we went now?" "We'd better go and ask her," answered Nelly. "You tell the little boy we've gone to ask our mother if we may come," she said to the nurse, and ran off with Rob to the house as fast as feet could go. The nurse looked after them, and sighed. "Well, those are well-brought-up children, whosever they are, to be found out in this wilderness. Oh, but I'd like to see Master Arthur run like that." Flora had been little Arthur's nurse ever since he was a baby; and, though she was often out of patience with him, she loved him dearly. When she went back and told him what the children said, he muttered fretfully:-- "Oh, dear! they needn't have gone to ask. Can't they go two steps without getting leave? I should think they were babies. They looked as old as I am." "They're older, Master Arthur," replied Flora. "I think they are as much as thirteen: the girl is, at any rate." "Is the boy nice?" asked Arthur. Flora laughed. "He's funny," she replied. And then she told Arthur what Rob had said when she asked him if he and his sister lived there. Arthur smiled faintly: he hardly ever laughed. His back ached all the time, so that he could very seldom forget it; and this constant pain made him very nervous and irritable. "You go up to the house and ask their mother to let them come," he said. "Well, dear," Flora replied, "I will, if they don't come in a few minutes. But I'm sure they'll come, for they said their mother had told them they might come this afternoon; and I'm sure she'll let them come now instead." "They can come in the afternoon too," said Arthur. "I want them all the time." "Well, well: I dare say they'll like to stay with you, and read your books, and see your things, very much," said Flora. "I'll show them my microscope," said Arthur: "that's the only thing I've got that's good for any thing. The books are no good."