"Come at last, darling! And do you remember your Aunt Hal? and are you half as glad to see her as she is to see you?" So Mrs. Eberstein gives her greeting, while she is drawing the child through the hall and into the parlour; gives it between kisses. "Why, no," said her husband, who had followed. "Be reasonable, Harry. She cannot be so glad to see you as we are to see her. She has just come from a long stage-coach journey; and she is tired, and she is hungry; and she has left a world she knows, and has come to a world she doesn't know; hey, Dolly? isn't it true? Tell your Aunt Hal to stop asking questions, and give you something to eat." "I have come to a world I don't know," repeated the little girl by way of answer, turning her serious small face to her questioner, while Mrs. Eberstein was busily taking off coat and hat and mufflers. "Yes, that's what I say!" returned Mr. Eberstein. "How do you like the look of it, hey?" "I wonder who is asking questions now!" said Mrs. Eberstein. "There, darling! now you are at home." She finished with another kiss; but, nevertheless, I think the feeling that it was a strange world she had come to, was rather prominent in Dolly. She suddenly stooped to a great Maltese cat that was lying on the hearthrug, and I am afraid the eyes were glad of an excuse to get out of sight. She touched the cat's fur tenderly and somewhat diligently. "She won't hurt you," said her aunt. "That is Mr. Eberstein's pet. Her name is Queen Mab." "She don't look much like a fairy," was Dolly's comment. Indeed, Queen Mab would outweigh most of her race, and was a magnificent specimen of good feeding. "You do," thought Mrs. Eberstein. Aloud she asked: "What do you know about fairies?" "Oh, I know they are only stories. I have read about them." "Fairy tales, eh?" "No, not much fairy tales," said Dolly, now rising up from the cat. "I have read about them in 'Midsummer Night's Dream.'" "'Midsummer Night's Dream,' you midget!" exclaimed Mrs. Eberstein. "Have you read that? And everything else you could lay hands on?" She took the child in her arms again as she spoke. Dolly gave a quiet assent. "And they let you do just what you like at home? and read just what you like?"