wn and said,--

"I'm come from home because I'm unhappy, and I mean to be a gipsy.
I'll live with you, if you like, and I can teach you a great many
things."

"Such a clever little lady," said the woman with the baby, sitting down
by Maggie, and allowing baby to crawl; "and such a pritty bonnet and
frock," she added, taking off Maggie's bonnet and looking at it while
she spoke to the old woman in the unknown language. The tall girl
snatched the bonnet and put it on her own head hind-foremost with a
grin; but Maggie was determined not to show that she cared about her
bonnet.

"I don't want to wear a bonnet," she said; "I'd rather wear a red
handkerchief, like yours" (looking at her friend by her side). "My
hair was quite long till yesterday, when I cut it off; but I dare say
it will grow again very soon."

"Oh, what a nice little lady!--and rich, I'm sure," said the old woman.
"Didn't you live in a beautiful house at home?"

"Yes, my home is pretty, and I'm very fond of the river, where we go
fishing; but I'm often very unhappy. I should have liked to bring my
books with me, but I came away in a hurry, you know. But I can tell
you almost everything there is in my books, I've read them so many
times, and that will amuse you. And I can tell you something about
geography too--that's about the world we live in--very useful and
interesting. Did you ever hear about Columbus?"

"Is that where you live, my little lady?" said the old woman at the
mention of Columbus.

"Oh no!" said Maggie, with some pity. "Columbus was a very wonderful
man, who found out half the world; and they put chains on him and
treated him very badly, you know--but perhaps it's rather too long to
tell before tea. _I want my tea so_."

"Why, she's hungry, poor little lady," said the younger woman. "Give
her some o' the cold victual.--You've been walking a good way, I'll be
bound, my dear. Where's your home?"

"It's Dorlcote Mill--a good way off," said Maggie. "My father is Mr.
Tulliver; but we mustn't let him know where I am, else he'll fetch me
home again. Where does the queen of the gipsies live?"

"What! do you want to go to her, my little lady?" said the younger
woman.

"No," said Maggie; "I'm only thinking that if she isn't a very good
queen you might be glad when she died, and you could choose another.
If I was a queen, I'd be a very good queen, and kind to everybody."

"Here's a bit o' nice victual, then," said the old woma