gone?"

"Tell Martin they're for Miss Maudie with Miss Hoodie's love"

Finis

[Illustration: HOODIE]

CHAPTER I.

AT WAR WITH THE WORLD.

"Who would think so small a thing
Could make so great a pother?"

A pretty, cheerful nursery--a nursery in which surely children could not
but be happy--with pictures on the walls and toys in the glass-doored
cupboard, and rocking-horse and doll-house, and everything a child's
heart could wish for. Spring sunshine faint but clear, like the first
pale primrose, peeping in at the window, a merry fire crackling away in
the tidy hearth. And just in front of it, for it is early spring only, a
group of children pleasant to see. A soft-haired, quiet-eyed little
girl, a book open upon her knee, and at each side, nestling in beside
her, a cherub-faced dot of a boy, listening to the story she was reading
aloud.

Such a peaceful, pretty picture! Ah yes--what a pity to disturb it. But
I must show you the whole of it. Into this pretty nursery flies another
child--a tiny fairy of a girl, tiny even for her years which are but
five--in she flies, down the long passage which leads to the children's
quarters, in at the nursery door, which, in spite of her hurry, she
carefully closes, and seeing that the other door is open closes it too,
then, flying back to the centre of the room, deliberately sets to work
to--children, can you guess?--to _scream_!

She sheds no tears, there is no grief, only wrath, great and furious, in
the little face which should have been so pretty, in the big blue eyes
which should have been so sweet. She shakes herself till her fair,
fluffy hair is all in a "touzle," she dances with rage till her neck and
arms are crimson, from time to time in the middle of her screams calling
out at the pitch of her voice,

"I don't love _any_ body. I don't want _any_ 'sing. I don't like _any_
'sing. Go away ugly evybody. I don't love Pince. Go away ugly Pince."

The girl by the fire looked up for a moment.

"Prince isn't here," she said. "Oh, Hoodie," she went on wearily, "how
_can_ you--how can you be so naughty?"

Hoodie turned towards her sister.

"I don't love _zou_, Maudie. Naughty, ugly Maudie. Pince _sall_ be
here. Naughty Maudie. I _sall_ be naughty. I don't love _any_ body."

"Nebber mind, Maudie dear, nebber mind naughty Hoodie. Hoodie's always
naughty. Please go on, Maudie," said one of the two little boys.

Magdalen tried to go on. B