aid Lisa coming into the room a moment or two later; "mine
child, how is it that your coat is so dirty? All green, Herr Baby, as if
you had rubbed it on the wet grass."

"It's with his poking in among the bushes by the kitchen window," said
Denny of the ready tongue; "yesterday, you know, Baby, when you
thought----"

"Hush," said Baby, "don't talk to me. You distairb me and the cat--we'se
busy."

Denny and Lisa looked at each other and smiled.

"Pussy, pitty pussy, dear Minet," went on Baby, who wanted to stop
Denny's account of his fears.

"We're going out, Herr Baby," said Lisa. "There are commissions for your
lady mamma. We are to go to the patissier and----"

"Who are the pattyser?" said Baby.

"The cumfectioner," said Denny.

Baby pricked up his ears.

"We are to go to the patissier," said Lisa, "to order some cakes for
Miladi for to-morrow, when Miladi's friends come to dine; and perhaps we
will buy some little cake for Herr Baby's tea. Come, mine child, leave
Minet, and come."

Herr Baby got up from the corner of the room where he had been embracing
the cat; there was a grave look on his face, but he did not say anything
till he was out on the road with Lisa. Denny was not with them; she had
got leave to go a walk with Celia and the lady who came every day to
give her French lessons, which Denny thought much more grand than going
out with Baby and Lisa.

"Lisa," said Baby, after a few minutes, "are mother going to have a
party?"

"Not one very big party," said Lisa, "just some Miladis and some
Herren--some genkelmen--to dine."

"Will it look very pitty?" asked Baby.

"Not so pretty as at _home_," said Lisa, who, now that she was away from
it, of course looked upon The Manor--that was the name of "home"--as the
most lovely place in the world; "there's no nice glass, no nice pretty
dishes here. And Francois, he is so dumm--how you say 'dumm,' Herr
Baby?"

"Dumm," repeated Baby, exactly copying Lisa's voice, staring up in her
face.

"No, mine child, how you say it of English? Ah--I knows--_stupid_.
Francois, he is too stupid. Peters and I, we will make the table so
pretty as might be. Lisa will command some bon-bons."

"Mother will want the shiny jugs," thought poor Baby. "Him _s'ould_ have
brought him's pennies. Him would like to know if him has 'nuff pennies;
perhaps him could go to the little girl's shop when Lisa is at the
pattyser's."

But he said nothing aloud. How it was that he kept