-ice, look-ing down at the Mouse's
tail; "but why do you call it sad?"

"I shall not tell you," said the Mouse, as it got up and walked off.

"Please come back and tell us your tale," called Al-ice; and all joined
in, "Yes, please do!" but the Mouse shook its head and walked on and was
soon out of sight.

"I wish I had our Di-nah here, I know I do!" said Al-ice. "She'd soon
fetch it back."

"And who is Di-nah, if I may dare to ask such a thing?" said one of the
birds.

Al-ice was glad to talk of her pet. "Di-nah's our cat; and she's such a
fine one to catch mice, you can't think. And oh, I wish you could see
her chase a bird! Why she'll eat a bird as soon as look at it!"

This speech caused a great stir in the par-ty. Some of the birds rushed
off at once; one old jay wrapped it-self up with care and said, "I must
get home; the night air doesn't suit my throat!" and a wren called out
to her brood, "come, my dears! It's high time you were all in bed."

Soon they all moved off and Al-ice was left a-lone.

"I wish I hadn't told them of Di-nah," she said to her-self. "No one
seems to like her down here, and I'm sure she's the best cat in the
world! Oh, my dear Di-nah! Shall I ev-er see you an-y more?" And here
poor Al-ice burst in-to tears, for she felt ver-y sad and lone-ly. In a
short time she heard the pat-ter of feet, and she looked up with the
hope that the Mouse had changed its mind and come back to tell his "long
and sad tale."

CHAPTER IV.

THE RAB-BIT SENDS IN A BILL.

It was the White Rab-bit who trot-ted back a-gain. It looked from side
to side as it went as if it had lost some-thing; and Al-ice heard it say
to it-self, "The Duch-ess! The Duch-ess! Oh, my dear paws! She'll get my
head cut off as sure as rats are rats! Where can I have lost them!"
Al-ice guessed at once that he was in search of the fan and the pair of
white kid gloves, and like the good girl that she was, she set out to
hunt for them, but they were not to be found. All things seemed to have
changed since her swim in the pool; the great hall with the glass stand
and the lit-tle door--all were gone. Soon the Rab-bit saw Al-ice and
called out to her, "Why, Ann, what are you out here for? Run home at
once, and fetch me a pair of gloves and a fan! Quick, now!" And Al-ice
was in such a fright that she ran off and did not wait to tell it who
she was.

"He took me for his house-maid," she said to her-self as she ran. "What
will he t