"fun" of any kind, this beautiful
country home was a sort of paradise to her. To have no one to scold
her, no lessons to learn, no tiresome straight walks with her governess,
and above all, to have two playfellows always ready to join in pleasures
and games! Kitty was an only child, and her life was often dull for
want of companionship. Everything went on very well at first, for there
was so much to do and see that there was no time for disputes. True,
Kitty commanded as much as ever, and had a way of setting people to
rights which was distinctly trying; but she and Betty did not come to
any open disagreement until she had been at Holmwood for nearly a week.
Nevertheless there had been many small occasions on which Betty had felt
fretted and irritated; for Kitty, without the least intending it, seemed
often to choose just the wrong thing to say and do.

And then she always wished to do _exactly_ the same as Martha and
herself, and that was _so_ tiresome.

For instance, all the children were very fond of dear Miss Grey. But
now it was always Kitty who must sit next to her, Kitty who rushed to
supply her with roses to wear and strawberries to eat, Kitty who kissed
her repeatedly at the most awkward moments. Martha and Betty, who
naturally felt that Miss Grey was their _own dear_ Miss Grey, could
hardly get near her at all, and Betty resented this very much. In fact,
she gradually got to dwell so entirely on these annoyances that she
could not think of Kitty's good qualities at all, and was quite unable
to remember that she was generous and affectionate, and that her faults,
though tiresome, were partly the result of a longing to be loved.

At last, the clouds having gathered, the storm came.

One morning, almost as soon as she got up, Betty felt that every single
thing Kitty did or said was silly. It did not occur to her that perhaps
she was a little bit cross herself, which was the real explanation.

After breakfast they all three went down to the pond, and, dividing the
water into shares, began to fish for frogs and newts.

"In a minute," said Betty to herself as she watched Kitty, "she'll say
Martha and I have the best places."

It happened just so.

"I say," said Kitty, throwing down her net and coming close up to Betty,
"I've got the worst place of all, there's nothing to catch in this
part!"

"You haven't tried long enough," said Martha.

"Let's change," was Kitty's next suggestion as she stood l