"They call her Corrie, miss, though I believe her right name is Coralie. Widow Campbell named her after the youngest little girl she used to have charge of when she lived in this house as nurse many years ago. Corrie's brother is in the kitchen now, miss, if you would like to see him."
"Ask him to wait until we speak to mamma. She has sent us to get ivy for her now to decorate the rooms with, but we will be back very soon."
And away scampered the children.
Millicent, a little lady five years old, stood at the nursery window watching her brothers and sister as they ran races across the frosty lawn, trying who should be first to reach the wood. But the blinding shower of tears falling from her blue eyes soon hid them from view.
"They are very unkind indeed," she cried, stamping her foot, "when they know I cannot go with them. Papa and mamma are very cross not to let me. I want to go and get ivy too."
From low sobs, the crying swelled into a passionate roar, which reached even Robin's ears as he sat below in the kitchen.
"Miss Milly! Hush! Stop crying, dear," said nurse. "You will make your cough so bad. Look! Baby is quite frightened at the noise you are making."
"I don't care, nurse! Everybody is very unkind. I want to go out now and pick the ivy!" And the child's slight delicate frame trembled with the passion she was giving way to.
"Milly!"
It was her father's voice; and in one instant the screaming ceased.