voices nor pattering feet, nor saw any little faces in the
deserted room. I was always of a more quiet nature, and so I bore my
long captivity better than the Fan did. She, poor frivolous, fluttering
thing, could only lament over the balls and parties she had once known,
and sigh over her imprisonment.

"But the longest day must come to an end at last, and so ours did, for
we were aroused from our lethargy by a little shrill voice, which cried,
'O Mamma, which is the drawer where the toys were kept?'

"'Here, my darling,' answered a soft, low voice, which vibrated through
every fibre of both the fan and myself, for we recognised the tones of
our dear mistress once more. And then we saw her too, for the
long-closed drawer was opened at last, and we beheld her, a slender,
sweet-looking woman, with her little daughter, Ellen, by her side. We
could have fancied from her size that our own little Mary was there
again, but when she looked round, her sallow complexion, bright,
restless eyes, and long dark hair, plainly bespoke the little
Indian-born child.

"'May I have all these for my very own, dear Mamma?' asked she, in her
little eager voice.

"'Yes, Nelly, you may if you like, on condition you take care of my poor
old playthings, especially this Humming Top, which I used to call my
Busy Bee, Nelly, when I was young. It was given to me when I was a
little child; but then _I_ was very careful of _my_ toys, and put them
away neatly when I had done with them, very unlike a little girl I know,
but we won't mention names, who destroys her toys sadly.'

"But Nelly was too busy over her fresh hoard to listen to any warnings,
and for a little while she kept her word, and put us away when she had
done playing with us. But this did not last long, for she was a careless
child, _very_ different to her dear mother. I had been secretly hoping
that my good mistress would take me under her especial charge again, and
that I should see a little more of her. But I suppose she was too busied
with her many cares and occupations now, and she had so long broken off
all her old habits and ways of thinking, that she hardly seemed like the
same. But you see she had been away all these years, and perhaps passed
through many changes, and had lost these old memories to which we clung
so fast.

"As for Nelly, Oh! what a child she was, as different to her mother as
night to day; noisy and active, restless and wild spirited, the old
house echoed a