Then the sound of the voices which reached us from the newcomers' table struck me with a sense of contrast, not altogether flattering to myself. The tones were so soft though clear, the slight laughter breaking out from time to time so gentle though gay, and entirely unaffected. "Yes," I replied in answer to mother's--"Well, what do you think of them?"--as we were slowly making our way upstairs again to our own quarters, "Yes, you were quite right, mamma; they are most attractive-looking people, and the little one is the prettiest person I have ever seen. But I don't want to get to know them! They wouldn't care for us, at least not for me. Of course they would like _you_, and they would feel bound to be polite to me, which I should hate." Mother only smiled. She very often only smiled when I began what she called "working myself up" for no cause at all. But in her heart I think--indeed she owned to it afterwards--she was not a little pleased at the impression which she saw had already been made upon me. "I daresay they'll be gone by to-morrow; I hope they will," said Moore consolingly. He was always so extraordinarily quick in perceiving any little thing that annoyed me. "_I_ don't see anything so wonderful about that girl," he went on; "she is just a dressed-up sort of young lady. I am perfectly certain she can't play cricket or ride a pony bare-back like you, Reggie." "I daresay not," I said. "And I almost wish I couldn't!" I added to myself rather ruefully. But to-morrow came and they were not gone, nor apparently had they any intention of leaving, for we overheard them talking about excursions they were proposing to make in the neighbourhood, and the words "next week" occurred more than once. I felt rather cross and dissatisfied that day, I remember. Perhaps I had over-walked myself--very probably so; and now and then I caught mamma's eyes glancing at me with a somewhat perturbed expression. "Are you not feeling well, Regina?" she said at last, when I had answered some little question rather snappishly, I fear. "Of course I am quite well, mother, dear," I replied; "I am only rather cross, and I don't know why. I would rather you would scold me than seem anxious about me! Everybody has moods. I--well, yes, perhaps I was thinking a little about that girl. It must be nice to be so graceful and charming?" "My poor, dear child," said mother, "don't distress yourself so needlessly! You know very well we would rather have our tomboy than any other girl in the world, though there is no reason why you should not be graceful and charming too, in your own way. You are very young still; you have plenty of time before you; but I do feel that it would be a great help to you, now especially, to have _some_ girl friends." I was beginning to feel it too, and did not repulse the suggestion, as I might have done even twenty-four hours previously.