tea out of my own little
tea-set; and we'll have such fun."

"Yes, dear, it will be very nice, and I hope that little Bunny will
be a good child and not make her cousin naughty and teach him
mischievous tricks."

"Oh, I'll be good, indeed, dear Miss Kerr. I won't want to be
naughty so much when I have someone to play with, for it's always
when I feel lonely that I want to play tricks on people."

"Is that so really, you poor mite? Well, you will not be lonely any
more, Bunny, and I hope you will try hard and learn to read soon.
When children can read they do not want a companion so much, because
they can read pretty stories about other children and so amuse
themselves for hours together."

"Oh, I don't want to read stories one bit," said Bunny with a pout.
"Sophie and mama read lots of stories to me, so it doesn't matter
whether I can read them for myself or not."

"And what will you do when you grow up, Bunny? Don't you think you
would feel very much ashamed if you could not read when you had
grown to be a tall lady?"

"Oh, no one would ever know, for I am sure people never ask grown-up
ladies if they can read. Do they, now? No one ever asks you or mama
if you know how to read."

"No, people never ask us if we can read, certainly, Bunny," answered
Miss Kerr laughing, "but they would soon find out if we did not, I
can tell you. People who cannot read seldom learn those things that
everyone should know, and so they are ignorant and stupid. Surely
you would not like Mervyn to beat you at his lessons, would you?"

"Oh, but he's older than me," said Bunny, "and, of course, he knows
a great deal more than me, and----"

"Than _I_, Bunny, say he is older than _I_ am," corrected Miss Kerr.
"Yes, he is older, but I do not think he knows more than you do. His
papa says he has never been taught anything but his letters, and he
can hardly speak English."

"Oh, dear! Does he only speak French then?" said Bunny with a look
of alarm.

"No, Hindustanee. That is the Indian language, you know, and as he
always had a native nurse he does not know English very perfectly.
But we will soon teach him, won't we, dear?"

"Oh, yes, it will be fun, and I'll try very hard to learn to read
well before he does! It will be nice to have a cousin, won't it? I
wonder what he's like. But I'm sure he'll be nice. I know he will.
Don't you think he'll be nice, Miss Kerr?"

"Yes, dear, I think it is very likely, but you will know all about