her crib, kicked about for some minutes
in a very ill-tempered way indeed. After a while she grew tired of
this conduct, which to her great surprise did not seem to make
Sophie the least bit angry, and not knowing what to do with herself
she sat staring about the room with a very sulky expression on her
little face.

But by degrees the tears dried up, the cross look disappeared, and
jumping suddenly to her feet, she trotted off to the other end of
the room. Pulling open the wide door of the doll's house, she set to
work very industriously to put it in order.

She brushed the carpets, dusted the chairs, shook out the dolls'
dresses and set them out in the drawing-room as if they were waiting
to receive their visitors.

"Now it's tidy, Sophie," she cried with a bright little smile.
"Mervyn will think it a very nice doll's house. Won't he?"

"Yes, my dear enfant, I am sure he will," said Sophie kindly, "and
now as you have been good and quiet for so long, I will begin to
dress you if you like."

"Oh, that is a dear good Sophie. I am so afraid that I shall not be
ready when papa comes."

"You will be ready, never fear," said Sophie, and taking off the
child's frock, she began to wash her face and hands.

"You hurt, Sophie, you hurt," cried Bunny pettishly, as the maid
combed out her long fair hair.

"Bah, no I don't hurt you, mademoiselle, except when you pull your
head aside. But in truth it is hard to comb your hair properly when
you move and fidget about. You are very difficult to manage to-day."

"I tell you, you do hurt me--you pull as hard as anything," cried
Bunny growing very red.

"Very well, miss, if you are in such humour," cried Sophie, "you may
just stand there till you get back to your temper again. I'm going
into the next room to get your frock, and I hope that when I come
back you will be quiet and let me dress your hair like a little
lady," and the maid flounced out of the nursery, leaving Bunny
standing before the glass in her short white petticoat, with one
shoe off and the other on, her hair hanging in disorder about her
shoulders, and her face puckered up in dismay at Sophie's sudden and
unexpected departure.

"Oh, why was I so cross about my hair?" she cried. "Papa and Mervyn
will be here directly, and just look at the state I am in. What
shall I do? What shall I do? Sophie, I'll be good. Do come back, and
get me ready to go down."

But Sophie did not answer, nor did she return, and p