Nan’s attention, however, was diverted by the gayly-painted cup and ball which Annie was using with her wonted dexterity.
“Dat a pitty toy,” she said, giving one quick and rather solemn glance at her sister, and again fixing her admiring gaze on the cup and ball.
Annie Forest had heard the words, and she darted a sudden, laughing look at the little one. Annie’s power over children was well-known. Nan began to wriggle on Hester’s knee.
“Dat a pitty lady,” she said again, “and dat a pitty, tibby (little) toy; Nan go see.”
In an instant, before Hester could prevent her, she had trotted across the room, and was kneeling with the other children and shouting with delight over Annie’s play.
“She’ll get her, you’ll see, Hester,” said one of the girls maliciously; “she’ll soon be much fonder of Annie Forest than of you. Annie wins the heart of every little child in the school.”
“She won’t win my Nan’s from me,” said Hester in a confident tone; but in spite of her words a great pang of jealousy had gone through her. She rose to her feet and followed her little sister.
“Nan, you are sleepy, you must go to bed.”
“No, no, Hetty; me not s’eepy, me kite awake; go ’way, Hetty, Nan want to see the pitty tibby toy.”
Annie raised her eyes to Hester’s. She did not really want to be unkind, and at that moment it had certainly never entered into her head to steal Hester’s treasure from her, but she could not help a look of suppressed delight and triumph filling her eyes.