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"You'll not really tell your mamma," she said. Of course I'd be blamed, and I'd lose a good place, and what my poor mother'd say I don't know. It'd go near to break her heart, and she's not well. Oh Master Leigh, you'll not tell? There's no harm done, and Miss Dolly's none the worse, and we'll never be so silly again. Miss Mary, my dear, do ask Master Leigh not to tell."

Mary could not bear to see any one cry, least of all a big person. Her lips began to quiver, and she looked timidly at her brother.

"Leigh," she began.

And Leigh too was very tender-hearted.

But

both of them, and Artie too, felt deep down in their hearts that however sorry they might be for Emma they were not doing right in giving in to her. They did promise not to tell, however; and then the little party turned homewards in very low spirits, though they had such great reason for thankfulness that their dear little sister was not hurt.

They hardly spoke all the way; and Dolly, by this time, tired out by all her adventures, had fallen fast asleep.

CHAPTER XIV.

HAPPY AGAIN.

It was two or three days after Fuzzy's running away with the perambulator that nurse, who was now quite well again, came in to breakfast in the nursery with a grave face, and without, as usual, Baby Dolly in her arms.

"Where's baby?" said Leigh; and Mary, who was deeply engaged with her bowl of bread-andmilk, looked up.

"Where's Baby Dolly, nursie?" she said, in

turn.

"In bed," nurse answered, "in bed and fast asleep. She's had a bad night, and she only fell really asleep when it was about time for getting up. So of course I didn't wake her."

"Is she ill?" asked Leigh; and both he, and Mary and Artie, looked at nurse so anxiously that she felt sorry for them.

"I hope not," she said. right when she wakes up.

"I hope she'll be all The best and strongest

of babies have their little turns. Don't look so

troubled, my dears."

Just then Emma, who had had her breakfast before, came into the room, and was crossing to the door which led into the night-nursery, when she was stopped.

"I'll tidy the room myself this morning, Emma," said nurse. "I don't want any one to go in. Miss Dolly's not very well."

"She's been very cross this day or two, crying enough to make herself ill. You spoil her, nurse, that's what I say," said Emma, pertly.

Nurse made no reply, except to repeat her orders to Emma not to enter the bedroom.

As soon as breakfast was over, the three children Artie and Mary with clean pinafores, and all with smoothed hair and nicely-washed hands -went downstairs as usual to the dining-room for prayers. But to their surprise their mamma was not there, nor was nurse. They did not wonder much about nurse, however, for they knew

some one would have to stay beside baby in case she woke.

But to-day several things seemed strange and different from usual. Instead of going up to the nursery again their father told them they were all to go to the little study where Leigh and Artie did their lessons with their tutor.

"For baby must not be disturbed," he said, "and if you were all playing in the nursery the noise would go through to the other room."

"Mayn't I go up to the nursery, papa dear?" asked Mary. "Just me. I'd be kite quiet. I don't like to be away from nursie and baby," and her voice sounded as if she were going to cry. "And I don't know what to do when Mr. Fibbetts comes."

"Mr. Phillips," said papa. "You're getting too big to talk so babyishly, Mary. And you mustn't be selfish, my dear. If you can play quietly in the nursery you can play quietly in the study, or perhaps I'll send Emma to take you out a little."

"I don't want Emma. I want mamma, and nursie and Dolly," said Mary.

She thought her papa was rather "c'oss," and she was not used to his being the least cross. And she was unhappy about baby; and deep down in her heart was a sort of fear she tried not to think about. Mary had never been so unhappy in all her life before.

The fear was not in her heart only. Leigh and Artie were feeling just the same. At first when they found themselves alone in the study they all three tried to pretend there was nothing the matter. They hid away the fear, and covered it up, and told it to go to sleep. But fears like that are very troublesome. They won't go to sleep; just as we think we have got them safely shut in and all seems still, up they jump again, and there they are knocking at the door, not only of our hearts, but of our consciences.

"You have done wrong," they say, "and wrongdoing brings trouble."

And after a while the two little brothers and their sister leît off pretending. They sat down close together on the hearthrug and looked at each other.