ma'am; I do not know what you mean by saying it."

"You do not know that you answered me by a toss of your head just now?"

"No, ma'am; certainly not."

"I am very glad to hear it. Don't do it again."

It would have been very like Matilda to do it again just there; but
bewilderment quite put down other emotions for the time, except the
sense of being wronged, and that is a feeling very hard to bear.
Matilda had scarcely known it before in her little life; the sensation
was as new as it was painful. She was utterly unconscious of having
done anything that ought to be found fault with. The darning needle
went very fast for the next half-hour; and Matilda's cheek was bright.

"They haven't got a fire up-stairs, have they?" Maria questioned, when
her little sister rejoined her.

"No, not to-day. Why?"

"You look as if you had been somewhere where it was warm."

But Matilda did not say what sort of fire had warmed her.

She forgot all about it, and about all other grievances, as soon as she
was free to go out in the afternoon; for now some of her visions were
to be realised. Yesterday afternoon had been so pleasant, on the whole,
that Matilda determined to seek a renewal of the pleasure. And first
and foremost, she had determined to get Mrs. Eldridge a tea-kettle. She
had money enough yet; only her Bible and yesterday's purchases had come
out of her twenty-five dollars. "A tea-kettle--and what else?" thought
Matilda. "Some towels? She does dreadfully want some towels. But then,
I cannot get everything!"

Slowly going towards the corner, with her eyes on the ground, her two
hands were suddenly seized by somebody, and she was brought to a
stand-still.

"Norton!" cried Matilda, joyously.

"Yes. What has become of you?"

"Oh, I have been so busy!"

"School?" said Norton.

"Oh no! I don't go to school. I have things to do at home."

"Things!" said Norton. "Why don't you speak straight? What things? your
lessons?"

"I don't have lessons, Norton," said the child, patiently, lifting her
eyes to Norton's face. "My aunt gives me other things to do."

"Don't you have lessons at all?" said Norton.

"Not now. I wish I did."

"Where are you going now, Pink?"

"Pink!" echoed Matilda.

"Yes, that's your name. Where are you going? Come home with me."

"I have got business, Norton."

"You haven't got"--said Norton, peering round--"yes, I declare she
_has_ got--that Bible tucked under her arm! Are you going to se