But it was too bewildering for little Ivy, who never did anything in a hurry. Hecla's lightning rapidity of movement overpowered her. Tears filled her eyes, and she muttered—"I want—mummie!"
"Oh dear, oh dear!—You're not going to cry! Why, I only meant to amuse you. Don't cry!—Please don't cry, Ivy darling. Wouldn't you rather be a class? I should like it, if I was you."
"I want mummie." And there was a small sob.
Hecla plumped down beside her, and began an energetic hug.
"Don't cry. We won't have a class. We'll do something different. You've got to be good, you know, 'cause of Auntie Millicent. I know what—I'll show you the pictures straight off; and you'll be you, and I'll be me; and we won't be teacher and children. I'll show you the pictures that I like most of all. There's four of them. Look—isn't that a beauty? It's Daniel in the lions' den, you know; and there's King Darius peeping in. Isn't Daniel a nice dear man? And that's such a sweet lion that's got his head against Daniel's knee. And he was so hungry, and he wouldn't eat Daniel."
"Why-because wouldn't he eat Daniel?" asked Ivy, comforted.
"Because he mightn't. Because Daniel was such a good, good man, and God took care of him. Lots of care! And He shut all the lions' mouths quite tight, so they couldn't bite Daniel."
"That lion's got his mouth wide open," remarked Ivy, pointing to one in the background.
"That's only because he doesn't like the king peeping through the window-hole, and the king was naughty, not good like Daniel, and so the lion's roaring at him. And he couldn't roar with his mouth shut, I s'pose. And the king was most dreadfully unhappy, because he thought he was going to find his nice dear Daniel eaten all up. And he didn't."
"Why-because didn't he?"