"Pretend not to notice them," whispered Jealousy at her shoulder. So Iddo turned away her face as they approached. They did not, however, at first notice her behaviour. "Have you seen that pretty girl who has just joined us?" they asked. "I don't think she is pretty," said Iddo, at the suggestion of the enemy. "She is quite lovely," they returned, "and her voice is like a bird's. You should hear her sing. It is the sweetest voice we have heard for a long time." "Her voice has no strength in it," answered Iddo. "Well, it may not be strong, but it is as sweet as a bird's." "I don't think so," argued the girl testily, "I heard distinctly two or three flat notes, she can't have a correct ear." "Well you are hard to please," they said, as they turned away; while others, seeing that Jealousy was at Iddo's elbow, stayed, determined to have a little fun. "She is going to dance," said one, "look at her gracefulness. It seems to me that whatever she attempts she does well." "We have never had such an addition to our company," said another, "every one pales beside her." "Look at the lovely flush on her cheeks," said a third, "surely," he added, turning to Iddo, who was sitting, miserable and angry, on the grass by the side of Jealousy, "surely you must admire her?" "No, I don't," said Iddo, sullenly. "How disagreeable you are," they exclaimed, laughing, "we thought you were a very different kind of girl," and as they moved away Iddo heard one of them remark: "How that girl has disimproved. She has such a sour expression on her face, which quite spoils her beauty, and she evidently cannot bear anyone being admired but herself." "Did you hear that?" asked Jealousy. "I think the way they are treating you is quite disgraceful." Had Belthiah seen her little daughter at that moment she would scarcely have recognized her. Her brow was puckered with vexation, and her eyes wore a remarkable likeness in their expression to that of the enemy by her side—they were moody and sullen. "I think I shall go away," she murmured. "No, don't go away," answered Jealousy, "show them that you don't care. Be cold and distant to them, it will teach them how to behave." So, when some of her playmates came near her, Iddo looked at them so coldly and disagreeably that they turned back with a shrug of their shoulders, and warned their friends to have nothing to do with her, for she was quite impossible.