"Maria? why don't you speak? where is little Rose?"
"Is not this little Rose?" asked Rose, compassionately, as she pointed to Charley.
"Sure enough," said the pleased old lady; "I thought it was a doll—sure enough—why—I shall find 'em all by and by, who knows?—But—Maria, why don't it grow any? it is just as little as it was when I saw it last—where did I see it last, Maria?—chut—chut—chut—" she said, tickling Charley's chin again. "Maria? you won't go away again, will you?—you won't strike me, will you? I'll be very good. Can't I stay here, dear, with you, and the little doll, little Rose? Why don't it grow bigger, Maria? Are you hungry? I am hungry—oh, dearie me—dearie me—"
"Dear, dear grandmother," sobbed Rose, "I love you."
"Love me! do you! what for? did Dolly make you cry too? Maria, where's Rose? Maria, what makes you call your mother grandmother? Do you know Dolly? Dolly is down stairs; I don't go down stairs. See here," and she touched her old faded gown and shawl, "I can't, you see, Dolly wouldn't like it. Oh! dearie me—dearie me! I am so tired," and the old lady laid her wrinkled face against her granddaughter's.
"Voices! and in Rose's room! what new treason now?" and Mrs. Howe applied her ear to the key-hole. The thin gray locks rested lovingly on Rose's glossy auburn tresses. Rose's arm was about her withered neck, and tears fell trickling from her eyes. It was a sweet picture; but the artist might have found a foil to it, in the demoniac face outside the door.
Ah! Rose, the hated Rose, in possession of her secret! Her face grew darker—deadlier. But perhaps she was not yet in possession of it; not a moment was to be lost.
Opening the door, she said, coaxingly, "Why, Betty, are you in here? This won't do. What will the doctor say? You must go back to bed, Betty," and Dolly fixed her basilisk eyes on her cowering victim, who nestled more closely to Rose.
"Poor crazed thing," said Mrs. Howe, "she imagines every body is going to hurt her; by and by she will think so of you. She may kill Charley. I ought to send her to the Lunatic Asylum; but she is an old servant who used to live in Mr. Howe's family, and so I keep her, though she is so troublesome. Come, Betty!"