. Charlotte recognized them at
a glance. They were the very handsome little pair whose acquaintance she
had made yesterday in Regent's Park. The girl hung back a trifle shyly,
but the boy, just saying to his sister, "The pretty lady," came up, and
raised his lips for a kiss.

"You don't think me rude?" he said; "you don't mind kissing me, do you."

"I love to kiss you; I am your own cousin," said Charlotte.

"My own cousin! Then I may sit on your knee. Daisy, come here--the
pretty lady is our own cousin."

On hearing this, Daisy too advanced. Neither child had any idea what the
word cousin meant, but it seemed to include proprietorship. They stroked
Charlotte's furs, and both pairs of lips were raised again and again for
many kisses. In the midst of this scene entered the little maid with the
baby. Pretty as Daisy and Harold were, they were nothing to the baby;
this baby of eight months had a most ethereal and lovely face.

"Oh, you beauty! you darling!" said Charlotte, as she clasped the little
creature in her arms, and the baby, too young to be shy, allowed her to
kiss him repeatedly.

"What a lot of lumber!" said Daisy, touching the brown-paper parcels.

This little child's speech brought Charlotte back to the fact of her
cakes and toys. Giving baby to his small nurse, she opened her
treasures. Daisy received her doll with a kind of awed rapture, Harold
rattled his drum and blew his trumpet in a way most distracting to any
weak nerves within reasonable distance, and the baby sucked some rather
unwholesome sweets. No child thought of thanking their benefactor, but
flushed cheeks, bright eyes, eager little voices, were thanks louder and
more eloquent than words.

"I want to see your mother; when will she be in?" asked Charlotte, after
a little quiet had been restored.

"Not all day," answered Harold. "Mother has gone with father to nurse a
poor sick lady; she won't be back till quite night."

"She said we were to be very good; we are, aren't we?" said Daisy.

"Yes, darling; you are quite perfect," replied the inexperienced
Charlotte.

"Did our mother ask you to come and play with us and give us lovely
things?" demanded Harold.

"She does not know I am here, my dear little boy; but now, if you will
show me where I can get a sheet of paper, I will just write your mother
a little note."

The paper was quickly found, and Charlotte sat down, a boy and girl on
each side. It was not easy to say much under suc