"Yes; I am your first cousin."

"First cousin," repeated Diana. She flung off her hat and threw it on
the floor.

"Orion," she said, turning to her little brother, "you take good care
of our pwecious box. And what is you?" she continued, raising her eyes
to Simpson's face.

"Well, my dear, at the present moment I am the nurse, and ready to
wash you and look after you, and make you comfortable."

"Then I wishes to say something," remarked Diana. "I wishes to say it
bold, and I wishes to say it soon. I hate cousins, more 'specially
first, and I hate nurses. There, now, you can go downstairs, first
cousin, and tell aunt, and she can punish me. I don't care. You can
tell your mamma just what you p'ease."

Diana strutted across the room, deposited her box on the
washhand-stand, and then, turning round once again, began to view the
company. What might have happened at that moment there is no saying,
if Iris had not come to the rescue.

"Please don't mind her," she said; "she is only a very little child
and she has gone through great trouble, for our mother--our own
mother--she has left us, you know. Diana does not really mean to be
rude. Please let me talk to her. Di, darling, come to me, come to
Iris."

It was impossible to resist Iris when she spoke in that tone, and when
she looked at Diana with her speaking dark eyes, and that gentle,
beautiful expression on her little face, it seemed to Diana then as if
the hard journey, and the pain of all the partings had never taken
place at all. She rushed up to her sister, clasped her fat arms round
her neck, and began to sob.

"Poor little thing, she is dreadfully tired!" said Iris. "If I might
have a little bread and milk to give her, and then if she might be put
to bed, I know she would fall asleep immediately and be quite herself
in the morning."

"Indeed, miss, I think you are right," said Simpson, who could not
help gazing at Iris with admiration. "I see you are a very kind little
sister, and of course no one ought to mind the words of a mere baby.
I'll take it upon me, miss, to do what you suggest, even though my
missus may be angry. Oh, my word! there's the supper gong. You must go
down at once, Miss Iris, you really must. I cannot answer for two of
you being absent, but I will speak to Mrs. Dolman afterwards, and tell
her that I just put Miss Diana straight to bed, for she was much too
sleepy to go downstairs again."

"But I won't let you leave me, Iris," alm