en't done any harm, have I?"

"Well, child, I suppose you meant well," said Isel doubtfully, "and I
don't know but one should look at folks' intentions more than their
deeds, in especial when there's no ill done; but--"

"Oh, come, let's forgive each other all round!" suggested Stephen.
"Won't that do?"

Isel seemed to think it would, for she kissed Derette.

"But you must never, never do such a thing again, child, in all the days
of your life!" said she.

"Thank you, Mother, I don't want to do it again just now," answered
Derette in a satisfied tone.

The afternoon was not over when Anania marched into the Walnut Tree.

"Well, Aunt Isel! I hope you are satisfied _now_!"

"With what, Anania?"

"That dreadfully wicked child. Didn't I tell you? I warned you to look
after her. If you only would take good advice when folks take the
trouble to give it you!"

"Would you be so good as to say what you mean, Anania? I'm not at all
satisfied with dreadfully wicked children. I'm very much dissatisfied
with them, generally."

"I mean Derette, of course. I hope you whipped her well!"

"What for?" asked Isel, in a rather annoyed tone.

"`What for?'" Anania lifted up her hands. "There now!--if I didn't
think she would just go and deceive you! She can't have told you the
truth, of course, or you could never pass it by in that light way."

"If you mean her visit to the Castle," said Isel in a careless tone,
"she told us all about it, of course, when she got back."

"And you take it as coolly as that?"

"How did you wish me to take it? The thing is done, and all's well that
ends well. I don't see that it was so much out of the way, for my part.
Derette got no harm, and Agnes has a nice new gown, and nobody the
worse. If anybody has a right to complain, it is the Countess; and I
can't see that she has so much, either; for she needn't have given the
robe if she hadn't liked."

"Oh, she's no business to grumble; she has lots more of every thing.
She could have twenty robes made like that to-morrow, if she wanted
them. I wish I'd half as many--I know that!"

Agnes came down the ladder at that moment, carrying one of her new
tunics, which she had just tried on, and was now going to alter to fit
herself.

"That's it, is it?" exclaimed Anania in an interested voice. "I thought
it was that one. Well, you are in luck! That's one of her newest
robes, I do believe. Ah, folks that have more money than they k