said that she might," protested Bee, while Adele stood speechless
with mortification. "If there was another boy who lived with you,
Percival, you would often wear each other's things."

"You are rude, Percival," reprimanded his mother in severe accents. "It
is just as Beatrice says: girls always do it."

Percival said no more, but he glanced so significantly at the hat as he
bade Adele farewell that the blood rushed to her face, and her adieu was
very constrained.

"I don't like those people," she exclaimed as they passed beyond
hearing. "Bee, how can you bear the way Mrs. Medulla pronounces your
name? It sounds like Beyoutricky."

Bee opened her lips to reply, but before she could do so, her father
spoke:

"I rather liked them. The lady pronounces Beatrice's name after the
Italian fashion, and is a very warm friend of hers. The boy is
undoubtedly a genius, albeit somewhat spoiled. I am glad that we have
them for neighbors."

Chapter XVIII

A Breach of Trust

"Our lives are songs;
God writes the words,
And we set them to music at leisure;
And the song is sad, or the song is glad,
As we choose to fashion the measure."

--_Gibbon._

"Oh! Oh!" screamed Adele, dancing up and down distractedly. "Take it
away! Take it away!"

Doctor Raymond ran from the study into the laboratory.

"What is the matter? What has happened?" he cried, alarmed by the girl's
pale face and affrighted manner.

"It's a caterpillar," explained Bee, who was vainly trying to get Adele
to keep still long enough to remove the creature. "There, Adele, it
can't hurt you. Just be still a moment so that I can take it off."

But Adele continued to shriek, while the caterpillar wriggled along her
delicate arm, each movement sufficing to send her into a fresh paroxysm
of fear.

"There, child!" Doctor Raymond passed his arm about her, and held her
tightly. "Don't jump so. There is nothing to be afraid of. The poor
thing is as much frightened as you are. See! it's gone. Beatrice, return
it to its cage."

"Take me out of this horrid place," sobbed Adele, clinging to him
tightly. "I never want to come in here again."

"I thought you had been in before," said her uncle questioningly, as he
led her into the study. "See that everything is closed properly,
Beatrice."

"No; I have not," shivered Adele. "It was all Bee's fault. She wanted me
to see some butterflies come out of their cocoons, so I went