"_No coffee!_" cried Rita. "I _have_ come to a wilderness! Well--bring the tea! and have it strong, do you hear?" And the young Cuban swept back into her room, and shut the door with more vehemence than good breeding strictly allowed. Margaret listened in distressed silence to this colloquy. Peggy giggled and chuckled. "Aha!" she said, "I'm so glad she didn't get the coffee. Greedy thing! Please hand me the muffins, Margaret. How small they are! The idea of her having her breakfast in bed!" and Peggy sniffed, and helped herself largely to marmalade. "Perhaps her head aches still," said peace-loving Margaret. "Don't believe a word of it!" cried Peggy. "She's used to being waited on by darkeys, and she thinks it will be just the same here. That's all!" Margaret thought this was probably true, but she did not say so, preferring the safer remark that it was a delightful day. "When you have finished your breakfast," she said, "we will go out into the garden. I can see a bit of it from here, and it looks lovely. Oh! I can just catch a glimpse of the swing. I wonder if it is the same old one. I love to swing, don't you?" "I like shinning better!" said Peggy, putting half a muffin in her mouth. "Can you shin?" "Shin! what--oh! up a tree, you mean. I'm afraid not." "I can!" said Peggy triumphantly. "I can beat most of the boys at it, only Ma won't let me do it, on account of my clothes. Says I'm too old, too; bother! I'm not going to be a primmy, just because I am fifteen. How old are you, Margaret?" "Seventeen; and as two years make a great difference, you know, Peggy, I shall put on all the airs of an elder sister. You know the Elder Sister's part,-- "Good advice and counsel sage, And 'I never did so when I was your age!'" "All right!" said Peggy. "I'll call you elder sister. Ma always says I ought to have had one, instead of being one." "Well, first comes something that we must both do; that is, go and see Mrs. Cheriton; and if you will let me, dear, I am going to tie your necktie for you." Peggy submitted meekly, while Margaret pulled the crumpled white tie round to the front, re-tied, patted, and poked it. Then her hair must be coaxed a little--or not so very little!--and then-- "What have you done to your frock, child? it is buttoned all crooked! Why, isn't there a looking-glass in your room?" "Oh, yes!" said Peggy. "But I hate to look in the glass! There's sure to be something the matter, and I do despise fussing over clothes." By this time Margaret had rebuttoned the dress, with a sigh over the fact that the buttons did not match it, and that one sleeve was put in wrong. Now she declared that they must go without more delay, and Elizabeth came to show them the way. Peggy hung back, muttering that she never knew what to say to strangers; but Margaret took her hand firmly, and drew her along.