et him out of your sight.'

This was a terrible blow to Betty. 'I think I might have been at his
funeral; he was my dog, and you and Douglas didn't care for him a bit!
Farmer Giles is a horrid man! But, oh dear, oh dear, I don't care for
anything now he's dead!'

And the curly head sank back on the pillow; and, like Ahab of old,
Betty turned her face to the wall and refused to be comforted.

For the next few days Betty gave nurse much anxiety; she crept about
with a white face and flagging footsteps, refused to play with the
other children, and spent most of her time sitting by Prince's grave.
She had no appetite, and had restless, wakeful nights.

'Fretting herself ill over it,' was Mrs. Giles's comment; 'she'll be
better when she gets back to London.'

Nesta Fairfax came down to see her little favourite, and Betty shed
many tears on her knee.

'It's no good; I shall never, never be happy again! No one cares for
me like Prince; and now he's dead I've no friend left!'

'You have a good many friends, Betty. Listen, darling; when I'm
married I'm going to live in London, and you shall come and stay with
me sometimes, if your mother will allow it.'

'When are you going to be married?'

'Soon; but we shall have a very quiet wedding, or I would have you as a
little bridesmaid.'

Betty shook her curly head mournfully. 'It's no good, my heart is
broken; and I don't want to stay with anybody or do anything.'

She had the same answer to any one who tried to comfort her. And then
one afternoon Mr. Russell appeared on the scene. When he heard from
nurse how matters lay, he proposed that Betty should come and stay with
him for a week. 'It is change of scene and atmosphere that she wants.
Let me take her back with me at once; my housekeeper will take good
care of her.' And this was managed, and Betty walked away with him
quietly and contentedly.

She was certainly happier roaming through his big house than she had
been at the farm; but there seemed to be some extra weight on her mind
that she would not reveal, and it was not until the first Sunday after
her arrival there that he discovered the cause.

They had been to church together, had waited until the congregation had
dispersed, and stood by Violet's monument. Betty had placed some fresh
roses on it, and as they were leaving the church she said, looking back
wistfully,--

'I wish Prince had been buried in church; no one cares about his grave!
I put flo