likenesses of
great men. They were really a beautiful pair, but I don't see them now,"
added Nelly, with an inquiring glance round the room.

"They're lost to me and my heirs for ever!" cried Matty, again tossing
herself backwards on her chair, which again gave an ominous creaking.

"How could they be lost?" exclaimed Nelly.

"Stolen--stolen by the robber Forgetfulness," answered Matty; "a regular
burglar he is! I neglected to lock my door at night--I never dreamed of
any danger--and in came the robber and carried away my pair of beautiful
screens."

"How very vexatious," exclaimed Nelly.

"Yes, indeed; where's the use of spending hours upon hours in
furnishing, and labouring to carry heavy things over brook Bother and up
the steep hill of Puzzle, if Forgetfulness sneak in at last and carry
the best goods away."

"What use, indeed," echoed Nelly; "the sad warnings of the misfortunes
which have happened to you and poor Lubin from Forgetfulness stealing
your facts, and Procrastination robbing him of his hours, must make each
of us more careful in guarding our treasures from such thieves."

"If Forgetfulness had only taken one of those worthless chairs instead,"
sighed Matty; "to think of losing the best facts, and keeping the
useless fictions."

"How now--what's the matter?" cried the cheerful voice of Dick, as he
entered Matty's cottage with a brisk lively step; "you look as doleful
as Miss Folly did just now when I met her with her red cockatoo on her
wrist, appearing so disconsolate and sad that I thought her most
particular friend, Lady Fashion, must have died of late hours or
tight-lacing!"

"Miss Folly disconsolate and sad!" exclaimed Matty; "ah, perhaps she had
heard that my poor little cottage had been robbed."

"That was not the cause of her melancholy," said Dick; "I daresay, were
the truth to be known, that Miss Folly herself had something to do with
the business; for many a day has she been seen in company with
Forgetfulness the burglar."

"I'm certain that Folly is perfectly innocent," cried Matty.

"Oh, I don't mean to accuse the fair lady; I only mention what I have
heard; you and she may settle the affair between you. But as regards her
present vexation, that, Nelly, all lies at your door. It seems that you
despised her cockatoo Parade, and would not part with Content in
exchange for it. But I've set all matters right; I've taken a fancy to
the creature, I've promised to buy it from Folly, a