said a word
to put her out. She was telling fairy stories like, to Master Duke and
Master Hec, and they began asking her to explain and she would say it
was quite true, not fairy stories at all. And Miss Maudie just tried to
show her she shouldn't say that, and then you see, Miss, she flew into a
temper."

"What were the stories about, Hoodie?" inquired Miss King, kindly.

Hoodie vouchsafed not a word in reply.

Magdalen glanced at the others.

"_I'll_ tell," said Duke. "They was about things up in the sky, you
know."

"Angels, do you mean?" said Miss King.

"Oh no, not angels," said Maudie. "It was about the stars and the moon.
Hoodie has a fancy----"

"It _isn't_ a fancy," put in Hoodie fiercely.

"Hoodie says," continued Maudie calmly, "that the moon and the stars and
all of the things up in the sky, know each other, and talk to each
other, and that she has heard them. The moon takes care of the stars,
she says, and early in the morning when it is time for them all to go
away the moon calls to them. I mean Hoodie says she does."

"'Cos she _does_," replied Hoodie, before any one else had time to
speak. "She calls to them and they all come round her together, and then
they all go away like a flash--_so_ quick, and it is so bright."

Her funny eyes gleamed up into Magdalen's face. In the interest of what
she was telling she forgot her temper.

"Was it that that you saw?" asked Magdalen, gravely. "The flash of their
going, I mean?"

"Yes," said Hoodie, "I've seen it lots of times, and I try to keep awake
on purpose. It passes--the flash, I mean--it passes by the little window
near my head. The little window for seeing up into the sky, you know."

Magdalen nodded her head.

"I know," she said, "I had a window like that in my room when I was a
little girl, and I was very fond of it. But I don't think I ever saw the
moon and the stars saying good night, or good morning--which is it? And
are none of the little stars ever left behind?"

The whole of Hoodie's face lighted up with a smile, but the rest of the
faces round Miss King looked grave and rather puzzled. Was she really
going to encourage Hoodie in her fancies--thought Maudie and Martin?

"I don't _'zink_ so," said Hoodie, "but I'll look the next time."

"Cousin Magdalen," whispered Maudie, gently pulling her godmother's
dress, "it _isn't_ true. You don't want Duke and Hec to think it is."

"I don't think it would matter much if they did," replied