"Why, he has followed me," said Alice; "he often does; but I came quick, and I thought I had left him at home to-day. This is too long an expedition for him. Kitty, I wish you had stayed at home." Kitty did not think so; he was arching his neck and purring in acknowledgment of Alice's soft touch. "Can't you send him back?" said Ellen. "No, my dear, he is the most sensible of cats, no doubt, but he could by no means understand such an order. No, we must let him trot on after us, and when he gets tired I will carry him; it won't be the first time by a good many." They set off with a quick pace, which the weather forbade them to slacken. It was somewhat as Miss Fortune had said, an ugly afternoon. The clouds hung cold and grey, and the air had a raw chill feeling that betokened a coming snow. The wind blew strong too, and seemed to carry the chillness through all manner of wrappers. Alice and Ellen, however, did not much care for it; they walked and ran by turns, only stopping once in a while when poor Captain's uneasy cry warned them they had left him too far behind. Still he would not submit to be carried, but jumped down whenever Alice attempted it, and trotted on most perseveringly. As they neared the foot of the mountain they were somewhat sheltered from the wind, and could afford to walk more slowly. "How is it between you and your Aunt Fortune now?" said Alice. "Oh, we don't get on well at all, Miss Alice, and I don't know exactly what to do. You know I said I would ask her pardon. Well, I did, that same night after I got home, but it was very disagreeable. She didn't seem to believe I was in earnest, and wanted me to tell Mr. Van Brunt that I had been wrong. I thought that was rather hard; but at any rate I said I would; and next morning I did tell him so; and I believe all would have done well if I could only have been quiet; but Aunt Fortune said something that vexed me, and almost before I knew it I said something that vexed her dreadfully. It was nothing very bad, Miss Alice, though I ought not to have said it; and I was sorry two minutes after, but I just got provoked; and what shall I do, for it's so hard to prevent it?" "The only thing I know," said Alice, with a slight smile, "is to be full of that charity which among other lovely ways of showing itself has this--that it is 'not easily provoked.'" "I am easily provoked," said Ellen. "Then you know one thing at any rate that is to be watched and prayed and guarded against; it is no little matter to be acquainted with one's own weak points." "I tried so hard to keep quiet that morning," said Ellen, "and if I only could have let that unlucky speech alone--but somehow I forgot myself, and I just told her what I thought." "Which it is very often best not to do." "I do believe," said Ellen, "Aunt Fortune would like to have Mr. Van Brunt not like me." "Well," said Alice--"what then?" "Nothing, I suppose, ma'am." "I hope you are not going to lay it up against her?"