oral-ooral" felicity--
among cows and hay, sunshine and milk, buttercups and cream, green
meadows and blue skies,--free as a butterfly from telegraphic messagery
and other postal cares. He was allowed to ramble about at will, and, as
little Bones was supposed to be slightly invalided by her late
semi-suffocation, she was frequently allowed by her indulgent mistress
to accompany him.

Seated on a stile one day, Pax drew Tottie out as to her early life, and
afterwards gave an account of his own in exchange.

"How strange," said Tottie, "that you and I should both have had bybies
to nuss w'en we was young, ain't it?"

"It is, Tot--very remarkable. And we've had a sad fate, both of us, in
havin' bin wrenched from our babbies. But the wrench couldn't have bin
so bad in your case as in mine, of course, for your babby was nobody to
you, whereas mine was a full cousin, an' such a dear one too. Oh, Tot,
you've no notion what splendid games we used to have, an' such
c'lections of things I used to make for 'er! Of course she was too
young to understand it, you know, for she could neither walk nor speak,
and I don't think could understand, though she crowed sometimes as if
she did. My! how she crowed!--But what's the matter, Tot?"

Tottie was pouting.

"I don't like your bybie at all--not one bit," she said emphatically.

"Not like my babby!" exclaimed Pax.

"No, I don't, 'cause it isn't 'alf so good as mine."

"Well," returned Pax, with a smile, "I was took from mine. I didn't
forsake it like you."

"I _didn't_ forsake it," cried Tottie, with flashing eyes, and shaking
her thick curls indignantly--which latter, by the way, since her coming
under the stern influence of Miss Stivergill, had been disentangled, and
hung about her like a golden glory.--"I left it to go to service, and
mother takes care of it till I return home. I won't speak to you any
more. I hate _your_ bybie, and I _adore_ mine!"

So saying, little Bones jumped up and ran away. Small Pax made no
attempt to stop her or to follow. He was too much taken aback by the
sudden burst of passion to be able for more than a prolonged whistle,
followed by a still more prolonged stare. Thereafter he sauntered away
slowly, ruminating, perhaps, on the fickle character of woman, even in
her undeveloped stages.

Tottie climbed hastily over a stile and turned into a green lane, where
she meant to give full vent to her feelings in a satisfactory cry, when
she