difficulty from which he could find no possible means of escape.

"And now, Kitty darling," said Minnie, after Girasole had gone--"now
you see how very, very wrong you were to be so opposed to that dear,
good, kind, nice Rufus K. Gunn. _He_ would never have treated me so.
_He_ would never have taken me to a place like this--a horrid old
house by a horrid damp pond, without doors and windows, just like a
beggar's house--and then put me in a room without a chair to sit on
when I'm so _aw_fully tired. He was _always_ kind to me, and that was
the reason you hated him so, because you couldn't bear to have people
kind to me. And I'm _so_ tired."

"Come, then, poor darling. I'll make a nice seat for you out of these
skins."

And Mrs. Willoughby began to fold some of them up and lay them one
upon the other.

"What is that for, Kitty dear?" asked Minnie.

"To make you a nice, soft seat, dearest."

"But I don't want them, and I won't sit on the horrid things," said
Minnie.

"But, darling, they are as soft as a cushion. See!" And her sister
pressed her hand on them, so as to show how soft they were.

"I don't think they're soft _at all_," said Minnie; "and I wish you
wouldn't tease me so, when I'm _so_ tired."

"Then come, darling; I will sit on them, and you shall sit on my
knees."

"But I don't want to go near those horrid furry things. They belong to
cows and things. I think _every body's_ unkind to me to-day."

"Minnie, dearest, you really wound me when you talk in that way. Be
reasonable now. See what pains I take. I do all I can for you."

"But I'm _always_ reasonable, and it's _you_ that are unreasonable,
when you want me to sit on that horrid fur. It's very, _very_
disagreeable in you, Kitty dear."

Mrs. Willoughby said nothing, but went on folding some more skins.
These she placed on the straw so that a pile was formed about as high
as an ordinary chair. This pile was placed against the wall so that
the wall served as a support.

Then she seated herself upon this.

"Minnie, dearest," said she.

"Well, Kitty darling."

"It's really quite soft and comfortable. Do come and sit on it; do,
just to please me, only for five minutes. See! I'll spread my dress
over it so that you need not touch it. Come, dearest, only for five
minutes."

"Well, I'll sit on it just for a little mite of a time, if you promise
not to tease me."

"Tease you, dear! Why, of course not. Come."

So Minnie went over and sat by