hurt me very much."

"Oh, I am so sorry!" cried Bunny bounding quickly down from her
perch, and holding her face up for a pardoning kiss. "But won't it
be nice, mama? Frisk is so glad to have a friend in the stable with
him, and it will be fun for me to have Mervyn to ride with."

"Yes, it will be very nice, dear. But, Bunny, you talk so much that
Mervyn never gets saying a word. Tell me, my dear, do you really
like your pony?"

"Oh, yes, aunt, I am delighted with him, he is so pretty. It was
very good of uncle to buy him for me."

"And you will not be afraid to ride him, I hope," she said with a
smile.

"No, I think not, at least not if we go along quietly. But Bunny
says she will make Frisk go awfully fast, and then my pony will run
after him, and that she is sure I shall be frightened and hold on by
the mane and--"

"Bunny, Bunny, you must not say such naughty things," cried Mrs.
Dashwood shaking her finger at the mischievous child. "But don't
mind her, Mervyn. She does not ride at all so splendidly herself.
The groom or her papa always holds Frisk by a leading rein, so it
would be quite impossible for her to go on as fast as she likes; so
do not mind her."

"Oh, I don't feel a bit afraid if some one holds my pony by a rein,"
said Mervyn bravely; "not one bit; I think it will be lovely riding
along together."

"That is right," said Mrs. Dashwood. "I am sure you will be a clever
horseman, for your papa was when he was a boy."

"And so he is now, aunt. He has a beautiful horse, and he looks
splendid on it when he goes off to ride," cried Mervyn, smiling
brightly at the recollection; "I used to think he looked grander
than any of the other officers."

"Poor little man," said his aunt gently, as she smoothed back the
hair from his brow. "You are very fond of your papa, Mervyn, and do
you know, I think you will be like him when you grow big and
strong."

"I want to be like him in every way," said Mervyn, "and I mean to be
an officer when I grow up."

"And go away to that nasty, hot India," cried Bunny; "oh, I'd be so
lonely if you went away again--please don't, Mervyn, please don't."

"What is Mervyn not to do, my little woman?" asked Mr. Dashwood, who
entered the room at this moment.

"He's not to go back to India again, because I should be so lonely
without him," cried Bunny catching hold of her papa's hand and
laying her little cheek against it; "you won't let him go, papa,
will you, dear?"

"No,