lda could not
make up her mind.

"But I don't see that it matters if it was," she said to herself. "If it
was a dream, the cuckoo sent it to me all the same, and I thank you very
much indeed, cuckoo," she went on, looking up at the clock. "The last
picture was rather sad, but still it was very nice to see it, and I
thank you very much, and I'll never say again that I don't like to be
told I'm like my dear pretty grandmother."

The cuckoo took no notice of what she said, but Griselda did not mind.
She was getting used to his "ways."

"I expect he hears me quite well," she thought; "and even if he doesn't,
it's only civil to _try_ to thank him."

[Illustration: My aunts must have come back!]

She sat still contentedly enough, thinking over what she had seen,
and trying to make more "pictures" for herself in the fire. Then there
came faintly to her ears the sound of carriage wheels, opening and
shutting of doors, a little bustle of arrival.

"My aunts must have come back," thought Griselda; and so it was. In a
few minutes Miss Grizzel, closely followed by Miss Tabitha, appeared at
the ante-room door.

"Well, my love," said Miss Grizzel anxiously, "and how are you? Has the
time seemed very long while we were away?"

"Oh no, thank you, Aunt Grizzel," replied Griselda, "not at all. I've
been quite happy, and my cold's ever so much better, and my headache's
_quite_ gone."

"Come, that is good news," said Miss Grizzel. "Not that I'm exactly
_surprised_," she continued, turning to Miss Tabitha, "for there really
is nothing like tansy tea for a feverish cold."

"Nothing," agreed Miss Tabitha; "there really is nothing like it."

"Aunt Grizzel," said Griselda, after a few moments' silence, "was my
grandmother quite young when she died?"

"Yes, my love, very young," replied Miss Grizzel with a change in her
voice.

"And was her husband _very_ sorry?" pursued Griselda.

"Heart-broken," said Miss Grizzel. "He did not live long after, and then
you know, my dear, your father was sent to us to take care of. And now
he has sent _you_--the third generation of young creatures confided to
our care."

"Yes," said Griselda. "My grandmother died in the summer, when all the
flowers were out; and she was buried in a pretty country place, wasn't
she?"

"Yes," said Miss Grizzel, looking rather bewildered.

"And when she was a little girl she lived with her grandfather, the old
Dutch mechanic," continued Griselda, unconsciousl