‘What does make you always go after Dolly instead of me, Mysie? Do you like her so much better?’ ‘Oh no! but you have them all, and she has nobody.’ ‘Well, but she has been so horridly naughty, hasn’t she?’ ‘I don’t think she meant it.’ ‘One never does. At least, I’m sure I don’t--and mamma always says it is nonsense to say that.’ ‘I’m not sure whether it is always,’ said Mysie, thoughtfully, ‘for sometimes one does worse than one knows. Once I made a mouse-trap of a beautiful large sheet of bluey paper, and it turned out to be an order come down to papa. Mamma and Alethea gummed it up as well as ever they could again, but all the officers had to know what had happened to it.’ ‘And were you punished?’ ‘I was not allowed to go into papa’s room without one of the elder ones till after my next birthday, but that wasn’t so bad as papa’s being so vexed, and everybody knowing it; and Major Denny would talk about mice and mouse-traps every time he saw me till I quite hated my name.’ ‘And I’m sure you didn’t mean to cut up an important paper.’ ‘No; but I did do a little wrong, for we had no leave to take anything not quite in the waste basket, and this had been blown off the table, and was on the floor outside. They didn’t punish me so much I think because of that. Papa said it was partly his own fault for not securing it when he was called off. You see little wrongs that one knows turn out great wrongs that one would never think of, and that is so very dreadful, and makes me so very sorry for Dolores.’ ‘I didn’t think you would like a cross, naughty girl like that more than your own Fly.’ ‘No, no! Fly, don’t say that. I don’t really like her half so well, you know, only if you would help me to be kind to her.’ ‘I am sure my mother wouldn’t wish me to have anything to do with her. I don’t think she would have let me come here if she had known what sort of girl she is.’ ‘But your papa knew when he left you--’ ‘Oh, papa! yes; but he can never see anything amiss in a Mohun; I heard her say so. And he wants me to be friends with you; dear, darling friends like him and your Uncle Claude, Mysie, so you must be, and not be always after that Dolores.’ ‘I want to be friends with both. One can have two friends.’ ‘No! no! no! not two best friends. And you are my best friend, Mysie, ever so much better than Alberta Fitzhugh, if only you’ll come always to me this little time when I’m here, and sit by me instead of that Dolly.’ ‘I do love you very much, Fly.’ ‘And you’ll sit by me at the penny reading to-night?’ ‘I promised Dolly. But she may sit on the other side.’ ‘No,’ said Phyllis, with jealous perverseness. ‘I don’t care if that Dolly is to be on the other side, you’ll talk to nobody but her! Now, Mysie, I had been writing to ask daddy to let you come home with me, you yourself, to the Butterfly’s Ball, but if you won’t sit by me, you may stay with your dear Dolores.’ ‘Oh, Fly! When you know I promised, and there is the other side.’