"Mamma, Belle and Maggie and I have found out something to-day."
"Have you, dear?" said mamma very soberly, but she did not ask what it was, as Belle had hoped she would. It would make the confession so much easier, she thought, if Aunt Margaret would only question them a little; but she did not seem inclined to do so. And there was the cut shoe beneath the hat, which Belle had now allowed to slip carefully down into her lap, keeping both hands pressed on it, as if she feared it would jump out of its own accord and show itself before the proper time.
"Yes'm," said Bessie, in reply to her mother: "it; is something we did not know about before."
This time there was no answer; but Belle thought Mrs. Bradford looked at her as if she expected she would speak for herself, instead of letting Bessie do it for her. She shrugged up her shoulders, wriggled herself about on her seat, and felt more and more uncomfortable.
Bessie waited a moment, and then spoke again.
"We've found out the colour of the inside of people's heels, mamma," she said; while Belle looked with a very innocent air into the fire. Bessie went on, "Least we've found out the colour of Belle's, and I s'pose all people's are the same. It's a nice colour: it's pink."
"How did you find that out, dear?" asked mamma.
"Belle's foot is peeled, and we saw the inside of it. But, mamma, we couldn't find the skin."
"How did the skin come off your foot, Belle?" asked Mrs. Bradford, trying not to smile, and speaking for the first time to the little culprit, while Aunt Bessie, who sat by, turned her face aside.
"'Cause a big hole came in my stocking, ma'am," answered Belle.