gly. She's uglier than Aunt Jane, what I _used_ to think was
the ugliest person in the world. You had best not twy to fwighten me,
for it can't be done."

"What a spirited little missy it is!" said Mother Bridget, gazing with
admiration at Diana. "Why, now, she is a fine little child. I'm sure,
dearie, I don't mind whether you call me ugly or not; it don't matter
the least bit in the world to me. And how old may you be, my little
love?"

"I is five," answered Diana. "I's a well-grown girl, isn't I?"

"That you are, missy, and hungry, too, I guess. You shall have some
beautiful hare soup."

"I don't want hare soup," answered Diana; "I want what that woman
pwomised--stwawberries and k'eam, and milk and cake--and then,
perhaps, a _little_ soup. I don't want soup to begin."

"Well," said the old woman, "we hasn't got no strawberries, nor no
milk, nor no cake--we are very poor folks here, missy. A little lady
must be content with what she can get, unless, my dear, you would like
to pay 'andsome for it."

"I has nothing to pay with," answered Diana. "I would, if I had the
money, but I hasn't got none. I's sossy," she continued, looking full
at Mother Rodesia as she spoke, "that you big, big woman told such
awfu' lies. But, now that we has come, we'll take a little hare soup.
Orion, you stand near me, and don't any of you dirty peoples come up
too close, 'cos I can't abear dirty peoples. I is the gweatest shot
in all the world, and Orion, he's a giant."

Two or three men had approached at that moment, and they all began to
laugh heartily when poor little pale Orion was called a giant.

"You can see him in the sky sometimes on starful nights," continued
Diana, "and he has got a belt and a sword."

"Well, to be sure, poor little thing," said Mother Rodesia, "she must
be a bit off her head, but she's a fine little spirited thing for all
that. I think she would just about do. You come along here for a
minute, Jack, and let me talk to you."

The man called Jack moved a few steps away, and Mother Rodesia
followed him. They began to talk together in low and earnest voices.
At first the man shook his head as he listened to Mother Rodesia, but
by degrees he began to agree with some suggestion she was making, and
finally he nodded emphatically, and at last was heard to say:

"It shall be done."

Meanwhile Diana, with one arm clasped protectingly round Orion's
waist, was partaking of the soup which old Mother Bridget had l