-house," he said
briefly.

"Oh, dear me!" said Iris wearily; "there's an evening's work. And I've
only just finished Max's socks. Pray, don't make it any larger,
Clement."

"You'll mend it, won't you?" said Clement earnestly, still gazing at his
knee. "You see it shows so awfully, and I shall want to put 'em on
to-morrow."

"Yes," said Iris, "I suppose I must. I'm sure Mary won't have time."

"You're a brick," said Clement, and he gave her a rough kiss on the
cheek and rushed off.

"How tiresome the boys are!" said Iris impatiently to herself; "how
tiresome it is to be poor! How tiresome everything is!" and she sat
down on the last step of the stairs and rested her head mournfully on
her hand. Then her eye caught sight of a letter lying on a table in the
passage. It was a fat rich-looking envelope, and it was directed in a
stiff upright hand. Iris knew that writing--it was her godmother's.
"How funny," she thought, "just as I was thinking of Paradise Court.
I'll take it up to mother."

But there was something stranger still in store for her when Mrs Graham
had read that letter. It contained an invitation for Iris to spend a
whole month with Mrs Fotheringham.

"Mother!" exclaimed Iris.

It was the only word she could say for some moments. It seemed too
wonderful and delightful to be true.

"Can I go?" was her next breathless speech.

"Would you like so very much to go?" asked her mother smiling.

It was an unnecessary question, for Iris's whole face was alight with
joyful anticipation. Her cheeks flushed, and she shook her long hair
back impatiently as though eager to take flight at once.

"It will be a nice holiday for you," continued Mrs Graham.

Suddenly it came into Iris's mind that it was mother who wanted a
holiday. How tired she looked, and how often her head ached!

"Mother," she exclaimed impetuously, "I won't go! It's horrid of me to
leave you with all the children. You ought to go instead."

"But you see I am not asked. I don't think that would quite do."

"Well, at any rate," said Iris, "_I'd_ better not go," and she sighed.

"That would be a pity, indeed," said her mother; "and I should be sorry
to refuse your godmother's kind offer for many reasons. And though I
sha'n't see all the beautiful things at Paradise Court, I shall have
pleasure, too, while you are there, because I shall know you are
enjoying them."

"How I wish we could all have them!" said Iris.

"And yet