"I'll tie them all up in my apron, an' thank you kindly. The scarf be bootiful, and 'twill pass the time to look at 'em all an' handle 'em!"
"And, Susy, Miss Bertha wants to see you. She lives in a tiny little cottage like a doll's house, and I love her best in all the world! Will you go and see her? You'll like her so much."
The door opened at this juncture, and Mrs. Maclahan walked in.
"I want to speak to Miss Loder—why, who on earth is this, Tina?"
"It's Susy, the little girl who drove me and Dawn and is so good to her father," explained Christina rather nervously.
It was not very often that her stepmother came to the nursery, and when she did, Christina always held her breath in expectation of what was coming. But since Miss Loder's arrival, Mrs. Maclahan had not had so much to say to her small stepdaughter.
"Is she one of the village children? Oh—ah—I remember, some tramps you met. Does Miss Loder know of this?"
"No," said Christina with scarlet cheeks; "I asked Susy to come and see me, and she came to the back door, and—and so I brought her up here."
Mrs. Maclahan laughed at her confusion and nodded her head. "You're gettin' on, Tina! Feeling your feet at last. But I don't admire this class of friend for you. Ah, here is Miss Loder. Now, we will hear what she thinks of it!"
But when Miss Loder entered, Susy fled; she dashed along the passage into the arms of a maid bringing the schoolroom tea.