e day at Santino the evenings got quickly
chilly.

"Us can't go back to the 'coolroom," said Baby; "Denny won't let dear
Minet come there, and him must stay wif Minet, 'cos her waked up when
him called her."

"Miss Denny must let you stay in the school-room," said Lisa. "There is
no little birds there for Minet to touch."

She opened the door, and Denny was too busy with her lessons to scold.

"You will be very quiet, Herr Baby," said Lisa. So Baby and Minet went
off into a corner with the money-box.

"Minet, dear," said Baby, in a low voice, "see what lots of pennies him
has. Yellow pennies, and white pennies, and brown pennies."

Minet purred, naturally, for Baby was stroking her softly with one hand
all the time he was holding up his pennies with the other.

"Dear Minet," said Baby, much gratified, "you is pleased that him has so
many pennies. Now, Minet, him will tell you a secret, a _gate, gate_
secret, about what him's going to do wif all him's pennies."

Here Minet purred again. Baby looked round. There was no one listening.
Lisa was going backwards and forwards, putting away the tea-things;
Denny was still groaning and grumbling over her row of words; Baby might
safely tell Minet his secret. Still he lowered his voice _so_ low that
certainly no one but Minet could hear. And when he left off speaking,
Minet purred more than ever. Only Baby thought it just as well to say to
her, before Lisa took him away up to bed, "Minet, dear, you'll be _sure_
not to tell nobody;" and I suppose Minet promised, for Baby seemed quite
pleased.

He woke in the morning with his head quite full of his great idea. They
were not to go a regular walk that day, Lisa told him, for in the
afternoon she would be busy, and Herr Baby would be good and play
quietly in the garden, would he not?

"All alone?" asked Baby.

"Perhaps Miss Denny will stay, too, if Herr Baby wishes," said Lisa;
"she was going again with Miss Celia, but----"

"Oh no," said Baby, "him would rather be alone, kite alone, 'cept Minet.
Fritz is very good to him, but Fritz will be at school. Fritz is never
at home now 'cept Thursdays."

"No," said Lisa; "but Herr Fritz is very happy at school, and when Herr
Baby is big he will go too."

"Yes," said Baby; but he didn't seem to think much what he was saying.
Lisa thought he was dull about Fritz being at school--I forgot to tell
you that Fritz went every day now to a very nice school in the town,
where there w