wool for
father. We needn't open that now. Oh, and this, is for you, dear,"
pushing a big box towards Mona. "I hope you will like it. I thought it
sweetly pretty. Directly I saw it I thought to myself, now that'll just
suit our Mona! I seemed to see you wearing it."

Mona's heart beat faster, her cheeks grew rosy with excitement.
"Whatever can it be!" she wondered, and her fingers trembled so with
eagerness, she was ever so long untying the string.

"If you don't like it," went on Lucy, busy untying the knots of another
parcel, "Mr. Phillips promised he'd change it, if it wasn't damaged at
all."

How tantalising Lucy was! Whatever could it be! Then at last the knot
gave way, and Mona lifted the lid, and pushed the silver paper aside.
"Oh, mother!" She clapped her hands in a rapture, her eyes sparkled with
joy. "Oh, mother! It's--it's lovely. I didn't know, I didn't think you
could get me a hat to-day--oh--h!"

"Then you like it?"

"It's lovely!"

"Try it on, and let us see if it suits you. That's the chief thing, isn't
it?" Lucy tried to look grave, but she was nearly as excited and
delighted as Mona herself.

Mona put it on and looked at her mother with shy questioning. She hoped
so much that it did suit her, for she longed to keep it.

Lucy gazed at her critically from all sides, then she nodded with grave
approval. "Yes, I never saw you in one that suited you better, to my
mind. Go and see for yourself--but wait a minute," as Mona was hurrying
away to the scullery, where hung a little mirror about a foot square.
"Don't treat that poor box so badly," as she rescued it from the floor,
"there's something else in amongst all that paper. Look again."

Mona opened the box again, but her heart had sunk suddenly. Yes, there it
was, the very thing she had dreaded to see--a wreath of blue
forget-me-nots and soft green leaves! There was a piece of black ribbon
velvet too, to make the whole complete.

It was a charming wreath. Compared with it, her own purchase seemed poor
and common.

Mona held it in her hand, gazing at it with lowered lids. Then suddenly
her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, mother," she stammered brokenly.
There was such real pain in her voice that Lucy looked at her in anxious
surprise. "Don't you like it?" she asked, disappointed. She had hoped
for a rapturous outburst of pleasure, and, instead, Mona stood silent,
embarrassed, evidently on the verge of tears.

"Don't you