s, there's a good boy. If it is a secret, there's no harm in it,
you may be sure."

"Tease!" repeated Mott, virtuously, "I'm not teasing. I only want to
know what the mystery is--why shouldn't I? I won't interfere."

Now Mott was just at the age when the spirit of mischief is most apt to
get thorough hold of a boy; and once this _is_ the case, who can say
where or at what a boy will stop? Every opposition or contradiction only
adds fuel to the flames, and not seldom a tiny spark may thus end in a
great fire. Nurse knew something of boys in general, and of Mott in
particular; and knowing what she did, she decided in her own mind that
she had better take the bull by the horns without delay.

"Miss Floss," she said seriously, "and Master Carrots, I think you had
better tell your brother your secret. He'll be very kind about it,
you'll see, and he won't tell anybody."

"Won't you, Mott?" said Floss, jumping up and down on her chair in her
anxiety. "Promise."

"Honour bright," said Mott.

Carrots opened his mouth as if about to speak, but shut it down again.

"What were _you_ going to say?" said Mott.

"Nucken," replied Carrots.

"People don't open their mouths like that, if they've 'nucken' to say,"
said Mott, as if he didn't believe Carrots.

"I didn't mean that I wasn't _going_ to say nucken," said Carrots, "I
mean I haven't nucken to say now."

"And what were you going to say?" persisted Mott.

Carrots looked frightened.

"I was only sinking if you knowed, and nurse knowed, and Floss knowed,
and I knowed, it wouldn't be a secret."

Mott burst out laughing.

"What a precious goose you are," he exclaimed. "Well, secret or no
secret, I'm going to hear it; so tell me."

Floss looked at nurse despairingly.

"You tell, nurse, please," she said.

So nurse told, and Maurice looked more amused than ever. "What an idea!"
he exclaimed. "I don't believe Carrots'll hold out for a month, whatever
Floss may do, unless he has a precious lump of ac--ac--what is it the
head people call it?--acquisitiveness for his age. But you needn't have
made such a fuss about your precious secret. Here, nurse, give us some
tea, and you may put in all the sugar Floss and Carrots have saved by
now."

Floss and Carrots looked ready to cry, but nurse reassured them.

"Never you fear," she said; "he shall have what's proper, but no more.
Never was such a boy for sweet things as you, Master Mott."

"It shows in my temper, doesn't i