“Who do you mean by she, Peggy?”
“That thing with black eyes, that stare and stare at me.”
But just at that moment other eyes looked compassionately into Peggy’s; they were the wistful, thoughtful, pleading eyes of the little creature Elisabeth Douglas. She was wearing her peculiar dress of striped scarlet and yellow. On her little head was placed her dainty scarlet cap. Her pale face became suddenly illumined with a brilliant colour.
Elisabeth went up to Peggy and held out her little hand. “I will take care of you,” she said.
There was something wonderfully touching in the tone of the almost baby voice. Peggy looked beyond her, and encountered the affectionate gaze of Chloe, the large, very stout mulatto woman.
“I’m all right,” said Peggy suddenly. “I’ll go wid her. She’s a little duck, she’s almost as good for all the worruld as a hin. Good-night, Molly; I’ll see ye some time to-morrow.”
Molly did not like to say to Peggy that she could not by any possibility see her until the following Saturday except in school hours, when, of course, the girls were not allowed to speak to each other. The playgrounds for the Upper and the Lower School were quite apart; and the only time of intercourse between the two schools was on Saturday afternoons. As soon as the child had departed, holding the hand of little Elisabeth, Molly looked wistfully after her, then she turned and met the earnest gaze of Alison Maude.
“What a queer, nice child!” said Alison.
“Yes,” said Molly very eagerly. “I’m so glad you like her; but do you know, Alison, I’m awfully frightened about her?”
“Why?” asked Alison.