poor Nonie must be told? We won't stay there
long, for we must do what we can to help mother when she comes home."

"Yes, I'll come with you," said Guy; "we'd best start at once, it's not
too early."

"Stay where you are, then, for a moment," said Molly. "I'll run into the
house and tell them we are going."

She went back to the breakfast-room, where an animated conversation was
going on.

Nell was lying on a sofa with a shawl over her, and Jane Macalister was
sitting by her side and holding her hand. Harry, Boris, and Kitty were
standing in a little knot by the open window eagerly discussing a
subject which was causing them intense pain, and obliging them to use
many bickering words. They were feverishly anxious about the removal of
their several pets.

"I know the big rabbit will die," exclaimed Boris. "Unless we can take
the hutch which is built into the wall he'll die. He never will sleep
anywhere except in that one corner of his hutch. It makes him ill, I
know it does, to sleep anywhere else. He'll die if he's moved."

"No he won't die," said Kitty roundly; "rabbits have got no souls, and
you can't be affectionate and fond of a thing if you haven't got a
soul."

"Oh, what a lie," interrupted Harry; "and you mean to tell me that my
dormice aren't fond of me, and that they don't prefer me to you--you
clumsy monkey."

Kitty looked nonplussed for a moment.

"That's only because you feed them," she said then. "If you didn't feed
them, they'd love me just as well. Ah, yah; who's right? You can't
answer me now, can you? It's only cupboard-love animals have got, and
that proves that they have no souls."

"It seems to me," said Harry, in a would-be sarcastic voice, "that very
much the same thing may be said of some girls. Who caught you stealing a
peach a week ago? Ha, ha, Miss Kitty."

"Oh, for pity's sake, children, don't quarrel," exclaimed Molly.

"That's what I'm telling 'em," said Boris in a tearful voice; "and I
think my big rabbit _has_ a soul, and I'm awful 'feared it will kill him
if he leaves his corner of the hutch."

"Jane," interrupted Molly, "Guy and I are going over to the Grange to
tell poor Nora about mother's letter, but we'll both be home before
mother returns."

"Very well, my dear," replied Jane Macalister. "You'd better not have
Nora back, though, Molly, for she's quite certain not to be sensible
about matters, and that's the only thing left to us now. For heaven's
sake, I say, let