ave
got herself to believe that there were such creatures as changelings,
she might almost have given credence to Irene's own story of herself.

As it was, however, she knew quite well that there must be a fight
between them, and that if ever she was to influence Irene for good she
must conquer her now.

"Look here," she said, going straight up to the younger girl; "you did
wrong to come in here."

"I did wrong?" said Irene, with a little impish laugh. "But then I
always do wrong. That doesn't matter."

"It may not matter to you. I am not concerning myself about your morals
at this moment, but I am thinking about my own. When you did wrong now
you injured me, and I am not going to put up with it."

"You are not going to put up with it? And how are you going to prevent
it, darling?"

Before Rosamund could utter a word, Irene had sprung upon her, seized
her round the waist, and compelled Rosamund to seat herself upon the
side of the bed, which she herself had been occupying a few minutes ago.

"Now, darling," she said, "you are not going to get away from me, and I
believe in your heart you don't want to."

Poor Rosamund! a great wave of longing to help this queer child swept
over her heart; but there was her word of honor. She was a passionate,
head-strong, naughty girl; but she could not give that up. Besides, she
could not do anything with Irene in the future if she did not conquer
her now.

"You are not going to--to say you don't like me?" said Irene, an
expression of absolute terror filling her eyes and making them look
wilder than ever. "Nobody ever dared to say that to me, and you are not
going to be the first."

"As a matter of fact," said Rosamund, "I like you very much."

"There, then, I am satisfied," exclaimed Irene, and she flung her thin
arms round Rosamund's neck, squeezed herself up close to her, and kissed
her again and again.

"Ah!" she said, "I knew that all my life I was waiting for somebody; and
that somebody was you, just you, so big, so brave, so--so different from
all the others. I should not be the horrid thing I am if the others had
not been afraid of me. I got worse and worse, and at last I could not
control myself any longer. I did things that perhaps I ought not to have
done; but if you give me up I don't know what will happen--I don't know
where things will end. Are you going to give me up?"

"I will tell you now exactly what has happened, Irene, and will leave it
to you to ju