r is
coming back 'fore long. Fortune did talk nonsense. She said, Iris--do
you know what she said?--she said that in the middle of the night,
just when it was black dark, you know, a white angel came into the
room and took mother in his arms and flew up to the sky with her. You
don't believe that; do you, Iris?"

"Yes, I do, Diana," answered Iris. "But I will tell you more about it
in the arbor. Come, Apollo; mother would not like us to stay in the
house just because she has gone away to the angels. Mother never was
the least little bit selfish. Come into the garden."

The three forlorn-looking little children were much comforted by Iris'
brave words. They dried their eyes, and Diana ran into the night
nursery to fetch their hats. They then ran downstairs without anyone
specially noticing them, passed through the great entrance hall, and
out on to the wide gravel sweep, which led by a side walk into the
lovely garden.

Iris held Diana by one hand and Orion by the other, and Apollo ran on
in front.

"Now, then," said Iris, when they had reached the garden, "we must
begin by feeding all the pets."

"There _are_ an awful lot of them," said Diana, in quite a cheerful
voice; "and don't you remember, Iris, the poor innocent was not buried
yesterday?"

Iris could not help giving a little shiver.

"No more it was," she said, in a low tone. "It must have quite a
private funeral. Please get some dock leaves, Apollo."

"Yes," answered Apollo.

He ran off, returning with a bunch in a moment or two.

"Take them into the dead-house," said Iris, "and sew them up and put
the poor innocent inside, and then take your spade and dig a hole in
the cemetery. We can't have a public funeral. I--I don't feel up to
it," she added, her lips trembling for the first time.

Diana nestled close up to Iris.

"You need not look sad, Iris," she said; "there's no cause, is there?
I don't believe that story 'bout mother, and if it is not true
there'll be nothing wrong in my laughing, will there?"

"You may laugh if you like, darling," answered Iris.

They all entered the arbor now, and Iris seated herself in the little
chair which mother had seen father make, and round which the beautiful
flowers of the iris had been carved.

"Laugh, Di," she said again; "I know mother won't mind."

For a full moment Diana stood silent, staring at her sister; then her
big black eyes, which had been full of the deepest gloom, brightened.
A butterfly p