ferences of the morning were all forgotten, and they
crowded about her, their little faces full of loving sympathy. "I wish
I could help you, Hitty," said Kate, patting the old housekeeper's
hand. "Is mansage treatment a kind of medicine 'cause if it is I might
give it to Dave--you know I drop mamma's medicine for her sometimes."

"No, child, mansage is a certain way of rubbing the body, and it needs
more strength and skill than you've got. But that I can manage, I
think; Guiseppi knows a man that we can get to come and mansage Dave
every morning. And I could sleep in the room next to him, and look
after him during the night; but it's some one to be with him in the day
that I want most."

Stevie had listened to Mehitabel's story with a very thoughtful
expression on his face; now he said suddenly, and very persuasively: "I
could take care of Dave through the day, Hitty--I wish you'd let me."

"You!" cried Miss Higginson, in surprise. "Why, you wouldn't be in
that room five minutes before you two would be squabbling."

"No, we wouldn't; I'm sure we wouldn't," persisted the little boy.
"Just you try me."

"But, Stevie, you'd get very tired being shut up in the room with that
ill-tempered boy, all day long--I know him of old--he'd try the
patience of a saint. You'd have no gondola rides, no fun with your
sisters, no play time at all, and no thanks for your pains either. And
I'm not sure your pa'd like to have you do it."

"I don't mind one bit about the fun and all that," said Stevie,
decidedly; "and indeed, Hitty, I don't think papa'd object. You see,
he told me the last thing, if anything happened while he was away I was
to act just as he would do if he were here; now, you know, if he were
here he'd just take care of Dave, himself--wouldn't he? Well, then, as
he isn't here, I ought to do it--see? And really I'd like to."

"Why not let him try it anyhow, Hitty?" pleaded the little girls. And
as she really saw no other way out of the difficulty, Mehitabel
reluctantly consented, with the proviso that she should sit with Dave
for an hour every afternoon while Stevie went for a gondola sail.
Finally matters were arranged, and after a very short visit Mr. Joseph
Lawrence started for Paris, leaving Dave in Venice, and the children
went in to make their cousin's acquaintance.

What Mehitabel said was certainly true--Dave was a very trying boy.
Though possessing naturally some good qualities, he had been so hum