this Jack never suffered her to do if he could prevent it; and seeing her coming he now tried to hurry Fairy home before Dame Hursey could catch them up. “Hi, man, Jack Shelley, stop a minute, will you, and let me have a look at the little lass?” shouted Dame Hursey in her broad Sussex brogue, and Jack, much against his will, was obliged to stop. “Poor old woman, Jack; she can’t do us any harm; why shouldn’t we stop and speak to her?” said Fairy, who did not keep her pretty manners for the other sex only, but was just as anxious to charm an old woman like Dame Hursey, and be as courteous to her as she would have been to Mr. Leslie or any of the people she met at the Rectory. “Well, you are fair enough for a princess. We shall have the prince coming one of these fine days and carrying you off,” said Dame Hursey, holding the little slender fingers Fairy tendered her in her horny old palm, and gazing with her piercing black eyes, bright now in spite of her seventy odd years, at the child’s fair face. “I hope not; I am very happy here,” said Fairy, laughing. “But you don’t belong here for all that; you look as much out of your place here as a black-faced horned sheep would among John Shelley’s flock of Southdowns.” “We must be going, Fairy. See, the sun is setting,” said Jack, impatiently. “Ah, it is no use your frowning about it, Jack Shelley. You may take her away now, but you mark my words, as sure as my name is Hursey, the prince will come and carry the fairies’ child away one of these days, in spite of all you can say or do to the contrary,” persisted the old woman, as Jack led Fairy off, feeling very much annoyed at her words. “Old witch,” muttered Jack. “Poor old thing! she means well, Jack,” laughed Fairy. “I almost think she has meant mischief to you, Fairy, ever since that day after you first came to us, and I was left at home to watch Charlie, while mother took you to Mr. Leslie. I remember as well as if it were yesterday; she came in while you were gone, and ransacked the place to look for your clothes and things. If you had been in the cradle instead of Charlie, I am sure she would have stolen you.” “Oh, Jack, how absurd you are! Well, at any rate, I am too big to be stolen now, so you might let me be civil to her.” “Civil you can be, but, Fairy, promise me you will never go to her cottage, nor stop talking to her when you are alone,” said Jack. “Well, I promise. I am not at all anxious to go to her very dirty hut, and mother very seldom lets me go out alone, except to and from the Rectory.” “I only wish she did; here I have to go out with Fairy whenever she chooses, whether I like or not,” put in Charlie. “But you always do like,” said Fairy, at which Jack frowned ominously.