never leave off having a mother, any way. I don't care so much about
nurse and birthdays, not _kite_ so much. Did you care when you had to
leave off, when you got too big?"

"I hadn't to leave off because I got big," said Griselda sadly. "I left
off when I was much littler than you," she went on, unconsciously
speaking as Phil would best understand her. "My mother died."

"I'm werry sorry," said Phil; and the way in which he said it quite
overcame Griselda's unfriendliness. "But perhaps you've a nice nurse. My
nurse is rather nice; but she _will_ 'cold me to-day, won't she?" he
added, laughing, pointing to the terrible rents in his garments. "These
are my very oldestest things; that's a good thing, isn't it? Nurse says
I don't look like Master Phil in these, but when I have on my blue
welpet, then I look like Master Phil. I shall have my blue welpet when
mother comes."

"Is your mother away?" said Griselda.

"Oh yes, she's been away a long time; so nurse came here to take care of
me at the farm-house, you know. Mother was ill, but she's better now,
and some day she'll come too."

"Do you like being at the farm-house? Have you anybody to play with?"
said Griselda.

Phil shook his curly head. "I never have anybody to play with," he said.
"I'd like to play with you if you're not too big. And do you think you
could help me to find the cuckoo?" he added insinuatingly.

"What do you know about the cuckoo?" said Griselda.

[Illustration: "BUT I MAY SEE YOU AGAIN," SAID PHIL]

"He called me," said Phil, "he called me lots of times; and to-day nurse
was busy, so I thought I'd come. And do you know," he added
mysteriously, "I do believe the cuckoo's a fairy, and when I find him
I'm going to ask him to show me the way to fairyland."

"He says we must all find the way ourselves," said Griselda, quite
forgetting to whom she was speaking.

"_Does_ he?" cried Phil, in great excitement. "Do you know him, then?
and have you asked him? Oh, do tell me."

Griselda recollected herself. "You couldn't understand," she said. "Some
day perhaps I'll tell you--I mean if ever I see you again."

"But I may see you again," said Phil, settling himself down comfortably
beside Griselda on her mossy stone. "You'll let me come, won't you? I
like to talk about fairies, and nurse doesn't understand. And if the
cuckoo knows you, perhaps that's why he called me to come to play with
you."

"How did he call you?" asked Griselda.

"First," s