very kind old woman
who had been her mother's nurse long before Lena was born. Lena had seen
her two or three times and liked her very much, and Mrs. Denny, that was
the old nurse's name, had often told her about her pretty home where she
lived with her son, who had never married, and for many years had taken
care of this farm for the gentleman it belonged to. Mrs. Denny had
promised Lena that if she came to see her she should have as much new
milk as she could drink, and plenty of quite fresh eggs, and all sorts
of nice country things. She had also promised her a particular bedroom
all to herself--and Lena had forgotten none of these things, so that
when her mother told her that it was to Rockrose Farm they were thinking
of sending her, Lena, in her quiet way, felt quite pleased. She was not
a little girl that made a fuss about things--she had lived too much
alone to be anything but quiet--and just now she felt too tired to seem
very eager. But her mother was pleased to see the bright look that came
into her eyes, and to hear the cheerful sound in her voice when she
replied, 'Oh, if it is to Mrs. Denny's, mamma, I should like to go
_very_ much. And I wonder if she will let me sleep in the room where the
bed has such beautiful chintz curtains, all covered with pictures,
mamma?'

"Her mother smiled.

"'I daresay she will, dear,' she said. 'I'm just writing to nurse now,
and if you like I'll ask her to be sure to let you have the
bedroom--with----'"

CHAPTER VI.

"THE CHINTZ CURTAINS."

"O lovely land of fairies,
You are so bright and fair."

"The chintz curtains."

Cousin Magdalen stopped for a minute.

"Are you getting tired, dears, any of you?" she said.

All the four heads were shaken at once.

"Oh dear no," said Maudie.

"In course not," said Hoodie.

And "It's a vezy pretty story," said Hec; while Duke faintly echoed,
"Vezy pretty."

So Magdalen, thus encouraged, went on.

"You begin to understand now why I said you might call the story 'the
chintz curtains,'" she said. "We're now got like to the real beginning.
At least I needn't explain any more about Lena--you must just fancy her
arriving one afternoon at Rockrose Farm. It was a nice bright afternoon,
though the winter was scarcely over, and little Lena already began to
feel stronger and better when she ran out into the garden at one side of
the house for a breath of fresh air after the long drive from the
railway. Her father