is Stradivarius," murmured Miss Tredgold. "Oh dear! How are the mighty
fallen! My dears, you had better say no more to me about that or I shall
lose my temper."

The girls could not imagine why Miss Tredgold's eyes grew full of a
certain mistiness and her cheeks were very pink with color. The next
moment she looked full at her nieces.

"When your mother died she took a great deal away with her," she said.
"What would you have done, poor children! if I had not been able to come
to the rescue? It does seem almost impossible that your father, my
brother-in-law, has forgotten to play on his Stradivarius."

"Well, aren't you glad you comed?" said Penelope, marching up and
standing before the good lady. "Don't you like to feel you are so useful,
the grand piano coming, and all the rest? Then you has us under your
thumb. Don't you like that?"

"I don't understand you, Penny. You are talking in a very naughty way."

"I aren't. I are only saying what nursey said. Nursey said last night,
'Well, well, drat it all! They are under her thumb by this time.' I asked
nursey what it meant, and she said, 'Miss Penny, little girls should be
seen, and not heard.' Nursey always says that when I ask her questions
that I want special to know. But when I comed down this morning I asked
Betty what being under your thumb meant, and she said, 'Oh, lor', Miss
Penny! You had better look out, miss. It means what you don't like,
miss.' Then she said, Aunt Sophy, that old ladies like you was fond of
having little girls under their thumbs. So I 'spect you like it; and I
hope you won't squeeze us flat afore you have done."

Miss Tredgold had turned very red.

"How old are you, Pen?" she said when the loquacious child became silent.

Penelope tossed her head. "You knows of my age quite well."

"Then I will just repeat the remark made by your excellent nurse--'Little
girls should be seen, and not heard.' I will add to that remark by saying
that little girls are sometimes impertinent. I shall not say anything
more to-day; but another time, if you address me as you have just done, I
shall be obliged to punish you."

"And if I don't dress you," said Penelope--"if I'm awful good--will you
give me sugar-plums?"

"That is a treat in the very far distance," said Miss Tredgold.--"But
now, girls, go out. The more you enjoy this lovely air the better."

They did all enjoy it; after their hard work--for lessons were hard to
them--freedom was sweet. With