o the house, and worth a great deal more than a silly white kitten.--
Where are you going, my love?"--for Philippa had suddenly rushed back
through the hall and out of the front door. In a short time she
reappeared with the kitten hugged up to her breast, passed her mother
without a word, went straight into the schoolroom and shut the door very
loud. Mrs Trevor looked after her with a sigh of despair, but as usual
made no further attempt to oppose her, and Philippa was left to amuse
herself with her kitten as she liked.

But it was not nearly so easy, she said to herself, to find amusement at
Haughton as it had been at Fieldside. There she had never known what it
was to be dull and cross; here she felt both, as she looked round the
empty schoolroom with the white kitten tucked under one arm. The room
had a prim, precise air, with all the books and toys carefully arranged
on the shelves, the musical box in its shining case on its own
particular table, and nothing left lying about. Philippa pursed up her
lips discontentedly. How different it was to the pleasant noise and
bustle, and all the little daily excitements of Fieldside! How dull it
was! How sorry she was to come back to it! She let the kitten drop
listlessly, and stood regarding her playthings and treasures with gloomy
dislike. Not one of them pleased her, not even her last new possession,
the musical box. The kitten seemed to share her mood, for she walked
restlessly about the room, sniffed in a disdainful way at the furniture,
and gave a tiny peevish mew.

"Here, Blanche, come and play," cried Philippa.

She threw an india-rubber ball across the floor, but the kitten hardly
deigned to turn her head towards it.

"How stupid you are!" exclaimed her mistress angrily, as she thought of
Darkie's frolics and gambols. "You have heaps of things to play with,
and yet you won't play, and I don't believe you're a bit glad to see me
either."

Blanche continued to stroll uneasily round the room as though in search
of something, and took no notice of the ball, even when it was rolled
right under her nose.

"Well, I suppose what you want is your clockwork mouse," said Philippa,
"and that's your very best toy. But I shan't let you have it long,
because I'm not going to spoil you ever any more."

She wound up the little mouse, and let it run nimbly round and round
close to the kitten. Formerly it had been a never-failing excitement,
but now, to Philippa's