'What?' said Rosamond; 'do you mean Noah's Ark animals?'
Justin and Pat, though Pat was again in his corner with a book, both began to laugh, and Archie's indignation was now turned on them.
'You're ruder than Hec,' he said, ''cos he's little and you're big.'
'None of your impertinence,' began Justin, seconded by a growl from Pat. 'I'll teach you to meddle with——'
Aunt Mattie rose to her full height, and she was tall. Somehow her nephews struck her to-day in a new light. She had known they were wild and unruly, but the waves of expression that followed each other over Rosamond's face almost startled her—the child had never seen this rough side of boy-life, if indeed boy-life at all. Aunt Mattie felt as if she had made a mistake in bringing her into it, and almost ashamed of Justin and his brothers.
'Boys,' she said, speaking to the two elder ones, 'you may not like Archie's interfering, but what he says is perfectly true; you are both very rude, though perhaps you don't mean it. But you know very well how angry you'd be if any one laughed at you. I tell you plainly that unless you can be gentle and more polite I will take Rosamond away, and find other playfellows for her while she is living with your uncle and me.'
Pat said nothing, but Justin got red.
'Oh come now, auntie,' he said. 'You know very well we didn't mean it, and I don't believe Miss Mouse minds. Do you?' he went on, turning to Rosamond.
The little girl hesitated.
'I— I don't know,' she began, 'but,' as a bright idea struck her, 'I'd like to see your animals and then I'd understand.'