"Very well, miss, only—he’s such a dear little boy, and you’d brighten him up like." Sheila Pat looked worried. "Does he want me to come?" "Yes, miss." "Then I will!" She heaved a big sigh. "Unless," brightening, "Aunt Kezia doesn’t wish me to. I’ll go and ask her." She came back sadly. "I can come," she said ungraciously. "Sarah! Sarah!" Down the stairs floated Miss Kezia’s voice, stern anger in its tone. "Yes, ma’am." "Sarah, I cannot find my house-shoes! I have forbidden you to move any of my things." "I—I haven’t touched ’em, ma’am!" "She’s getting trembly—like an earthquake, poor little hap’orth," observed Nell. "Not touched them? Then where are they? They have disappeared! Are you sure—" "Nell—oh, _Nell_, I—I put them on the dining-room fender to warm!" "Molly! Oh, you are too lovely for anything! Hadn’t you better go and tell her?" Molly cowered down in her chair. "I daren’t!" "I will, then." She turned to the door, but Molly jumped up. "No, I’ll go!" She came tearing back presently and flung herself down into a chair. "Well?" But Molly buried her head in the chair-back and said nothing. "Molly," Nell grasped her shoulder, "was she awful?" "Y-yes, she was!" sobbed Molly. "Oh, I did want to soften her—and—and—oh, Nell," her voice suddenly shook with watery laughter, "K.K. had been at her shoes and—_had eaten all the linings_!" "Oh, how _delightful!_" "It’s awfully funny, but—oh, she’s in a frightful temper! She—she says I’m an interfering—busybody! And when she wants coddling—she’ll—she’ll have a nurse in to do it for her—properly! She—shut K.K. in the boot closet! She made Sarah clear it out first. Can’t you hear her howling? Oh, Nell, why did I go and forget all about her shoes? I meant to take them to her directly she came in—all nice and warm—" "She might be warm, but she wouldn’t be nice, Mol." "Don’t be silly! You know what I meant. Of course, it’s all very funny to you—" "My dear Molly, you must confess it is rather funny!" Molly began to shake with laughter. "Oh, Nell, and K.K. looked so beautifully meek and innocent and the linings only little bits of leather left sticking out—and they’re _such_ big, flat shoes! And K.K.’s toe-scratches all over them. Oh, and Nell—" Molly couldn’t go on for a while—"while she—was talking—so awfully majestic and angry—oh, _Nell_!—K.K. seized a shoe out of her hand and fled with it, shaking it—you know how she does! Oh, I’m glad you weren’t there!" After a while Nell went upstairs. She listened outside the boot closet; all was still. A good deal surprised, she went into her room. Sheila Pat, in her petticoat, sat huddled up on a chair, scissors in hand, bending over the frock she had just taken off. "What are you doing, Atom?" She lifted a worried face. "I’m just lengthing it," she said curtly. "Oh, Kate Kearney, how did you get out of the boot cupboard?"