ur uncle was near by, and so soothing
was the air that, unable to resist its drowsy influence, he, too, soon
dozed off. Unfortunately we awakened before our unconscious nurse, and
immediately rolled out of our cradles, and crawled along the pavement of
the verandah. Great sport we had, I have no doubt, as children will, and
certain it is that, attracted by their brilliant colours, we lost no
time in removing from each other's heads our distinguishing ribbons, and
speedily mixing them up. However, at length, and too late, our baby
laughter awakened the old gentleman from his sleep. Too great for words
was the astonishment of the unhappy man when he beheld us all shuffled
up and mixed in this deplorable way upon the pavement. Bitterly he
accused himself of wicked negligence for allowing such a thing to
happen, for so alike were we without our distinguishing ribbons, that he
could never hope to know one from the other again. He thought, and
thought, and thought for the whole afternoon, but at the end he was no
nearer discovering again which was the future Duchess, which Mellinid,
and which Edil. At last, he gave it up in despair. Henceforth we were
known only collectively as the future Duchess and her two sisters, but
which is the Duchess, and which the two sisters, will remain for ever a
mystery.

[Illustration: WE GREW UP IN COMPARATIVE HAPPINESS]

[Illustration: He was always at hand]

'Nevertheless, we grew up in comparative happiness until yesterday, the
fateful day when we all became eight years of age. Before
breakfast, and with all due solemnity, our faithful uncle handed over to
us the control and guardianship of the Blowdripping possessions, which
had been entrusted to him until we should arrive at our present age,
but, alas! we could not avail ourselves of the good provision made for
us by our thoughtful parents, as neither one of us knew which of us we
were. The Duchess, as head of the family, could not give her consent to
anything, or advance any money for the housekeeping as, for all she
knew, she might be one of her own sisters, in which case she would have
been touching that which did not rightly belong to her. For the same
reason Mellinid, not knowing who she herself was, could not give her
consent to our remaining at the Hall, and likewise Edil could not allow
the magnificent house still to occupy its lovely situation in the
Blowdripping Park. After talking the matter over, and over again, we
have come