"Gertrude must see how lovely she is," thought Beauchamp. "I wish she could see Eugenia and Addie Chancellor side by side." And "What a pity she has not a little more presence and `style!'" thought Mrs Eyrecourt, who could think vulgar words though incapable of uttering them. But as neither expressed their thoughts aloud, unbroken peace and harmony were the order of the evening. VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER TEN. ONLY FLOSS! Minds that have nothing to confer Find little to perceive. Wordsworth. As Eugenia came downstairs the next morning, she met a small person toiling upward, one foot at a time. Eugenia loved children. She stopped at once and knelt down beside the little creature, the better to get sight of the face half hidden by the tangles of wavy hair. "And who are you, dear?" she said, kindly. "One of my little nieces, I suppose." She knew that Mrs Eyrecourt had children, but was ignorant how many or of what ages. "I don't know," said the little girl, rather surlily. "I'm only Floss;" and she seemed eager to set off again on her journey upstairs. "Floss? What a nice funny little name!" said her new aunt-in-law, detaining her gently. "Is it because you have got such pretty flossy hair that they call you so?" "I don't know," said Floss again, but more amiably than before. "I didn't know my hair was pwetty. _Yours_ is," touching Eugenia's bright brown tresses as she spoke. "It shines so nice in the sun;" for it was a brilliant summer morning, and some sunbeams had found their way through the quaint pointed windows, lighting up the oak-panelled hall and wide, shallow-stepped staircase where the two were standing. "I like your hair," pursued Floss, waxing confidential. "I don't like light hair, nor I don't like black." "Don't you, dear? Why not?" asked Eugenia, amused at the oddity of the child. "Don't tell," said the little girl, cautiously. "I don't like light because mamma's is light, and that other fat girl's; and I don't like black because Aunty Woma's is black, and nurse's." Eugenia was a little taken aback. Could the child be "quite right," she wondered. "Let me see your face, little Floss," she said, pushing back the fair hair from the broad white forehead and raising the child's head a little towards her. "Right!"--of course she was right. There was no want of intellect, or humour either, in the well-shaped little features and green-grey, twinkling eyes. "You have got a nice face, Floss. Will you give me a kiss?" asked Eugenia. "But, do you know, when I was a little girl I didn't say I didn't like anybody." "I didn't say that," returned Floss. "I was only speaking of people's hairs. I like you. You're not fat, like that girl! Are you my new aunt? Nurse said my new aunt was coming. Sometimes I like nurse; but, do you know, she does pull my hair so when it is vewy tuggy! Will you tell me about when you was a little girl?"