urse was a staid, elderly woman, who assured him she
was accustomed to the sole charge of the child, and would keep her
entirely under her own control.

"I expect you would like her to be sent down to you in the evening--at
dessert, perhaps, sir?" she inquired.

Sir Edward pulled the ends of his moustache dubiously. "Is it necessary?
I thought children ought to be in bed at that time."

"Of course it shall be as you like, sir. You do not dine so late as some
do. I thought you would expect to see her once in the day."

After a little hesitation Sir Edward gave his permission; and when he
found that Milly neither screamed nor snatched for the fruit on the
table, and did not herself engross the whole conversation, he became
quite reconciled to the little white figure stealing in and occupying
the chair that was always placed at his left-hand side for her.

Beyond this he saw very little of her while his guests were with him;
but afterwards, when they had all left him, and he relapsed into his
ordinary life, he was constantly coming across her. Sometimes he would
find her in the stables, her arms round the stable cat, and the grooms
holding a voluble conversation with her, or among the cows at the bottom
of the paddock, or feeding the pigs and fowls in the poultry yard.
Generally she was attended by Fritz, a beautiful collie, who had, with
the fickleness of his nature, transferred his affection from his master
to her, and though uncertain in temper towards most, was never anything
but amiable when with the little girl.

Her uncle's form approaching was quite a sufficient hint to her to make
herself scarce. She would generally anticipate the usual formula: "Now
run away child, to nurse," by singing out cheerfully: "I am just off,
uncle," and by the time he had reached the spot where she was standing
the little figure would be running off in the distance, Fritz close at
her heels.

One afternoon Sir Edward was returning from a stroll up the avenue when
he saw the child at play among the trees, and for a moment he paused and
watched her. She appeared to be very busy with a doll wrapped in a fur
rug which she carefully deposited at the foot of the tree; then for some
minutes she and Fritz seemed to be having a kind of a game of hide and
seek with one another, until she pushed him into a bush and commanded
him to stay there. Suddenly dog and child darted at each other, and
then, to Sir Edward's amazement, he saw his littl