“Oh, don’t!” said Kitty. “How horrid of you, Noney! How could I think of anything so awful?”
“But poor Nan has to think of it. Oh dear! oh dear! it is exciting. Do you know what I should like to do? I’d like to rush downstairs and fling my arms round her neck, and drag her up to the schoolroom, and say, ‘You poor little motherless, penniless creature, here is Jack to comfort you.’ That is what I should like to do; but, of course, I suppose it would not be right.”
Miss Roy, the children’s governess, now entered the schoolroom. She was a kindly, good-natured woman. They went to school for most of their lessons, but she looked after their dress, and took them for walks, and saw to their comforts generally.
“What are you two puzzling your little heads over?” she said. “Oh Nora, my dear, why is the schoolroom in such a mess?”
“We were teaching Jack some of his tricks,” said Nora. “Do you know, Miss Roy, he begs so beautifully, and he quite winks one of his dear little eyes when he sits upright and takes his biscuit.”
“But he sulks a good bit when we teach him to trust,” interrupted Kitty.
“Well, dears, get the brush now and sweep away the crumbs; when your little friend comes she will not like to see an untidy room.”
“I hope she will,” said Kitty. “It will be very much the worse for her if she is of the tidy sort.”
“What nonsense, Kitty! You know I have always trained you to be most careful and tidy.”
“Yes,” answered Kitty, with a sigh; “and when you do train us, Miss Roy, do you know what Nora and I think of?”