ught," she replied encouragingly. "That's
just what I said to myself when I caught sight of it; and when I'd read
it, an' saw that it was all about you and me, an' told a secret too,
what granny an' mother have always kept away from us, d'you think I was
goin' to give it up? no, not if I know it. An' to think they fancy it's
lost--leastways, granny does--an' mother don't know anything about it at
all. What fun it is! D'you know, Duncan, I don't so very much like
mother."

Duncan looked at her in alarm. Scottish children of all classes are
brought up in very strict notions of filial duty and affection, and
these were no exceptions to the rule. Duncan looked all round anxiously,
as though he feared a bird might carry the dreadful treason to their
mother's ears.

Elsie looked as if she were enjoying the sensation she had made. "I've
got a good reason," she said, nodding her head knowingly. "You'll see it
when you've read the letter. I always thought I wasn't so very fond of
her, and now I see why it was. It wouldn't have been right if I had; an'
when she beat me, I can't tell you how I felt. I couldn't like any one
who beat me!" Elsie continued, grinding her teeth together with rage at
the memory, "even if it was my own mother."

"You seemed as if you wanted to make mother do it," said Duncan, who was
often much distracted between his allegiance to rebellious Elsie and the
strict sense of duty and obedience in which he had always been trained.

"P'raps I did," Elsie replied. "But I don't care; and mother shan't have
the chance again. I don't think our father'd let her if he knew it."

"Our father?" faltered Duncan. "Why, our father's dead."

"Is he?" asked Elsie, enigmatically. "Robbie's father is."

"And isn't that ours?" Duncan asked contemptuously.

"That's just it," Elsie replied, with some excitement. "That's just what
the letter's about. Now, if you sit down here I'll read it to you."

"We shall be late again," Duncan said, nervously. "Don't let's stop now,
Elsie, and make mother cross. Could we do it after school?"

"P'raps I'd better tear it up, or give it back to granny," Elsie said,
with a taunting air. "It don't matter to you."

"Oh, don't!" pleaded Duncan, divided again between the sense of duty,
his own curiosity, and a fear of offending Elsie. "Do keep it till after
school."

"Yes, I will," Elsie replied. "And mind you bring home an atlas with
you, for, now I think of it, I must have a map of Eng