say you would! Wouldn't you?"

"Norton," said Matilda, cautiously, "do you think anything I _could_
have bought with that dollar would have given me so much pleasure as
that tea-kettle yesterday?"

"It was a good investment," said Norton. "But it is right to eat
strawberries, Pink. Where are you going to stop?"

"I'll take Mrs. Eldridge some strawberries," said Matilda, smiling,
"when they get plenty."

"Well, agreed," said Norton. "Let us take her some other things too.
I've got money. Stop--let me put these plates in the house and fetch a
piece of paper;--then we'll see what we'll take her."

Matilda sat while he was gone, looking at the golden mist on the
mountains and dreaming.

"Now," said Norton, throwing himself on the turf beside her, with his
piece of paper, and thrusting his hand deep down in his pocket to get
at his pencil, "Now, let us see what we will do."

"Norton," said Matilda, joyously, "this is better than croquet."

Norton looked up with those bright eyes of his, but his reply was to
proceed to business.

"Now for it, Pink. What shall we do for the old lady? What does she
want? Pooh! she wants everything; but what to begin with?"

"Strawberries, you said."

"Strawberries! Not at all. That's the last thing. I mean we'll fix her
up, Pink. Now what does she want to be comfortable. It is only one old
woman; but we shall feel better if she is comfortable. Or you will."

"But what do you mean, Norton? how much can we do?"

"Just as much as we've a mind to. I've got money, I tell you. Come;
begin. What goes down first?"

"Why, Norton," said Matilda, in an ecstasy, "it is like a fairy story."

"What?"

"This, that we are doing. It is like a fairy story exactly."

"How is it like fairy stories?" said Norton. "_I_ don't know."

"Did you never read fairy stories?"

"Never. What are they like?"

"Why some of them are just like this," said Matilda. "People are rich,
and can do what they please; and they set out to get things together
for a feast, or to prepare a palace for some princess; and first one
nice thing is got, and then another, and then some thing else; until by
and by you feel as if you had been at the feast, or seen the palace, or
had done the shopping. I do."

"This isn't for a princess," said Norton.

"No, nor a palace," said Matilda; "but it seems just as good."

"Go on, Pink; let us quit princesses and get to the real business. What
do you want to get, first thing?"