you did not try to keep her down so much she would not set
herself up so much," persisted Nell.

"I am older and wiser than you," said Phyllis coldly.

"Yes, I know you are," said Nell regretfully.

"And I ought to be a better judge of people's conduct. I am not going
to complain of her to father or mother; but as she will be coming here
again, I suppose, we ought to try to manage her a little ourselves."

Nell did not dare to say any more to Phyllis, but ran away as soon as
she could get an opportunity, to play with Hetty and laugh admiringly at
all her droll remarks.

One more triumph Hetty enjoyed before her visit to Wavertree came to an
end. On a certain evening there was a dinner-party at the Hall, and some
one who had been expected to sing and amuse the company failed to
appear. After dinner Mrs. Rushton fancied that the party had grown very
dull, and a brilliant idea for entertaining the guests occurred to her.
She left the drawing-room and went upstairs to where the little girls
were preparing for bed.

"Come, Hetty," she said, "I want you to make yourself agreeable. Every
one is going to sleep down-stairs and carriages will not arrive till
eleven. I have rung for Polly to dress you. Phyllis and Nell can come
down also if they please."

The Enderby girls concluded from this speech that their mother had sent
for them, and in a short time Mrs. Rushton returned to the drawing-room,
accompanied by the three children.

Mrs. Enderby looked exceedingly surprised and not quite pleased, but
Mrs. Rushton said,

"I have provided some amusement for your people. Hetty will make them
laugh."

Hetty was flushed and trembling with excitement, and at a signal from
her adopted mother she stepped into the middle of the room and began her
entertainment; Mrs. Rushton having walked about among the guests
beforehand, telling them that the child was going to give them some
sketches of character, the result of her own observations.

Hetty began with a conversation between a mincing and lackadaisical
young lady and a bouncing one who talked noisily; and she changed her
attitudes, her accent, the expressions of her face in such droll ways,
and altogether contrasted the two characters so well, that a round of
applause and laughter greeted and encouraged her. Then followed a
ridiculous scene between a cross old lady and an amiable old gentleman
in a hotel; and so on. Every odd character Hetty had ever met was
reproduced for th