hardly cross at all. I can't quite explain, miss; I suppose there's
scarcely any one who hasn't been guilty of a tarradiddle; but a lie--a
thought-out lie--never."

"Is a lie so very awful?" asked Patty.

"Awful!" repeated nurse.

She rose solemnly from her seat, went up to Patty, and put her hand under
her chin.

"Don't you ever catch me a-seeing you a-doing of it," she said. "I
wouldn't own one of you Dales if you told falsehoods. A black lie the
Bible speaks of as a thing that ain't lightly forgiven. But, of course,
you have never told a lie. Oh, my dear, sweet young lady, you quite
frightened me! To think that one of my children could be guilty of a sin
like that!"

Patty made no answer.

"I am tired of work," she said; "I am going out."

She flung down the skirt that she was helping to unpick and let the
scissors fall to the ground.

"You might put your work tidily away, Miss Patty. You aren't half as
useful and helpful as you ought to be."

Patty laid the skirt on a chair and slipped away. Nurse continued her
occupation.

"I wonder what the child meant," she thought. "She looked queer when she
spoke. But there! with all their faults--and goodness knows they've
plenty--they're straight, every one of them. A crooked-minded Dale or a
crooked-minded Tredgold would be a person unheard of. Oh, yes, they're
straight enough, that's a blessing."

Meanwhile Patty sought her sister.

"It's worse than I thought," she remarked. "It's not even a tarradiddle."

"What do you mean?" asked Briar.

"The lie you told--the lie I am to help you to hide. It's black as ink,
and God is very angry with little girls who tell lies. He scarcely can
forgive lies. I was talking to nurse, and she explained."

"You don't mean to say that you told her about Pauline?"

"No," answered Patty in a voice of scorn. "I am not quite as bad as that.
But she was speaking about Aunt Sophy and how wild she used to be, and
she compared her to Paulie, and said that Aunt Sophy never did anything
mean or underhand, and that Paulie never did either. I felt as if I could
jump, for we know, Briar, what Paulie has done."

"Yes, we know," answered Briar. "And you and I have done very wrong, too.
But there is no help for it now, Patty. We can't go back."

"It certainly does seem awful to think of growing up wicked," said Patty.
"I don't like it."

"Don't let's talk about it," said Briar. "We'll have to suffer some time,
but perhaps not yet. Do