day-School girls, hollo!"

"Do you hear?" said Matilda.

"Sunday-School girls!--come back!"

"What can they want?" said Maria.

"We must go see," said Matilda.

So they went towards the gate again. By the gate they could soon see
the shock head of Alexander; he had got rid of the wash-tub and his
mother and his sister--all three; and he was waiting there to speak to
them. The girls hurried up again till they confronted his grinning face
on the other side of the gate.

"What do you want?" said Maria. "What do you call us back for?"

"I didn't call you," said the boy.

"Yes, you did; you called us back; and we have come back all this way.
What do you want to say?"

Alexander's face was dull, even in his triumph. No sparkle or gleam of
mischief prepared the girls for his next speech.

"I say--ain't you green!"

But another shout of rude laughter followed it; and another roll and
tumble, though these last were on the snow. Maria and her sister turned
and walked away till out of hearing.

"I never heard of such horrible people!" said Maria; "never! And this
is what you get, Matilda, by your dreadful going after Sunday-scholars
and such things. I do hope you have got enough of it."

But Matilda only drew deep sighs, one after another, at intervals, and
made no reply.

"Don't you see what a goose you are?" persisted Maria. "Don't you see?"

"No," said Matilda. "I don't see that."

"Well, you might. Just look at what a time we have had, only because
you fancied there were two children at that house."

"Well, there _are_ two children."

"Such children!" said Maria,

"I wish Mr. Richmond would go to see them," said Matilda.

"It would be no use for Mr. Richmond or anybody to go and see them,"
said Maria. "They are too wicked."

"But you cannot tell beforehand," said Matilda.

"And so I say, Tilly, the only way is to keep out of such places. I
hope you'll be content now."

Matilda was hardly content; for the sighs kept coming every now and
then. So they went down the hill again, and over the bridge, past the
glen and the burnt mill, and began to go up on the other side. Now
across the way, at the top of the bank that overhung the dell, there
stood a house of more than common size and elegance, in the midst of
grounds that seemed to be carefully planted. A fine brick wall enclosed
these grounds on the roadside, and at the top of the hill an iron gate
gave entrance to them.

"O Tilly," exclaimed Maria