ully
frightened. But she wouldn't let me say a word; she made Brina put me in
her bed and she covered me with blankets and she fed me herself,
something hot and oh, so good. And she kept petting me and cuddling me
for I guess I shook like a leaf. You see, I couldn't _believe_ I was
safe and sound; I kept seeing that dog jump at me! And finally she sang
to me, the nicest old-fashioned song and I went to sleep, and I never
opened my eyes until this morning, and there she stood by my bed with a
tray of nice breakfast. She wouldn't let me tell her how I got lost
until I'd eaten every crumb. And then I felt so cosy and warm and safe
that I told her everything--_everything_, all about Mother Lynch and how
my plans for the House of Laughter had failed at first, and then the
Rileys and what I thought of the Mills, and how horrid Mr. Norris was
and about Susy and poor Granny and Dale's model, and then what I'd done
at Grangers'. I just got started and I couldn't stop. And Beryl, I told
her _again_ how my aunt was an unhappy old woman who worried over her
own troubles so much that she didn't have time for other people's.
Wasn't that dreadful?" And Robin caught up a pillow and buried her face
in it.

Beryl looked troubled.

"Yes, that _was_ dreadful. What ever did she say?"

"She didn't say anything. She picked up my tray and went out, and I felt
the way I had that other time, all fussed, because I'd bothered a Queen
with my silly affairs. And I could have sworn then she was a Queen,
Beryl, she had such a dignified way of being sweet and she smelled so
nice and perfumy--a different perfume. And that Brina had put the
gorgeousest nightgown on me, too."

"When did you first know the Queen was your aunt?" Beryl broke in.

"Beryl Lynch, on my honor, not until my guardian called her Madame
Forsyth! After she took my tray out she came back, and she did look sort
of funny, now I remember, the way one does when one decides suddenly to
do something you hadn't dreamed of doing, and she told me Brina had gone
into the village to hunt up some sort of a vehicle to get me back to the
Manor. And I didn't think until the last moment that she meant to come,
too. And all the way over I was nearly bursting thinking how surprised
you'd be and what fun it would be to have the Queen visit us. Oh, dear!"
And Robin drew a long breath, half sigh.

"Well, something'll happen _now_," groaned Beryl, in much the same tone
Budge had used. "When she find