h a dull, tiresome guide; don't talk to me of Duty again! I'll
take you under my charge; I'll show you all my delights; I'll even--"
here Folly again lowered her voice to a confidential tone, and leant
forward her frizzled head as she whispered, "I'll even manage to
introduce you to my most particular friend, Lady Fashion!"

"Nothing on earth would make me give up Duty!" exclaimed Nelly warmly,
for she could bear no word spoken against her friend. "I will never
forget her, nor part with her gift; and I don't want, indeed I don't, to
be introduced to Lady Fashion!"

Miss Folly started back in indignation and horror. "Not want to be
introduced to Lady Fashion! the girl must be out of her senses! Not one
moment longer shall Folly condescend to stay near one who has the
effrontery to own that she does not want to be introduced to Lady
Fashion!" and, snatching up her cockatoo, Parade, Miss Folly rushed out
of the cottage as fast as her mass of frippery would let her.

Nelly looked after her with a wondering smile, and Content, perched on
the shoulder of his young mistress, burst forth into the merriest of
songs.

Miss Folly did not stop in her running till she arrived, out of breath,
at the spot where Pride was awaiting her return.

"What success?" asked the dark one, though he saw at a glance that Folly
had been baffled and defeated.

"I'll never go near her again!" gasped forth Folly; "I'll never put my
foot across her threshold! She has disappointed me, rejected me,
insulted me; she does not care for my cockatoo, Parade, nor wish to be
introduced to my most particular friend, Lady Fashion!" and Folly almost
cried with spite and vexation.

"She will not escape me so easily," said Pride; "my arts are deeper than
yours. I have resolved that her bird shall die, and die it shall, before
to-morrow, let her guard it as well as she may."

"She always keeps Content beside her," observed Folly, "and you know
that neither of us are able to take it away by force."

"Not by force," said Pride gloomily, "but by fraud. I know that I cannot
with my own hands wring the neck of Content; but I'll do more, I'll make
Nelly kill him herself!"

"How can you do that?" exclaimed wondering Folly.

Pride glanced round to see that no one else was listening before he
replied, in a voice sunk to a horrible whisper, "I've a poisoned cage,
called Ambition, very fair and fine to the eye. Let Content be but once
placed in that, and he will sw