gine
she was being made fun of and all hope of leading her and making her
love and trust you was over.

So Magdalen's face remained quite grave as she replied to Hoodie's
question,

"I think that _everything_ nice and pretty that comes to us is sent by
God, dear. And He means them all to teach us to be good. But I don't
think you need fancy your little bird is a fairy."

"It's _so_ clever," said Hoodie. "Fancy him knowing when I call. Do you
think some day it'll learn to speak, Cousin Magdalen?"

Cousin Magdalen shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. It isn't the kind of bird that ever learns to speak,"
she replied, as gravely as before. "But I shouldn't wonder if it learns
to know you very well--to come in a moment when it hears you call, and
to show you that it is pleased to see you."

"Oh how lovely that'll be," said Hoodie, dancing about with delight.
"Fancy it coming on my finger whenever I say 'Birdie dear, come and
pouch.' I'll _never_ let it hear me speak c'oss, Cousin Magdalen.
Whenever I feel _it_ coming I'll go out of the room and shut the door
tight so it sha'n't hear me."

"Whenever you feel what coming?" asked Magdalen.

"_It_," repeated Hoodie, "c'ossness, you know. It must come
sometimes--_all_ chindrel is c'oss _sometimes_," she added
complacently.

"Well, but suppose some children were to make up their minds to be cross
_no_ times," said Magdalen with a smile. "Wouldn't that be a good thing?
Suppose a little girl I know, not very far from here, was to set the
example."

Hoodie laughed.

"Cousin _Magdalen_," she said, with an accent on the name that she
always gave when amused. "Cousin _Magdalen_, how funny you are! I know
who you mean--yes, I do, kite well. But she couldn't, that little girl
couldn't help being c'oss _sometimes_."

She shook her head sagaciously.

"Well, any way," said Magdalen, "try and let the 'sometimes' come as
seldom as possible. Won't you do that, Hoodie?"

Just then there came a tap at the door.

"Miss Hoodie," said Martin's voice. "Come to tea, please. It's quite
ready."

Hoodie gave an impatient shake. Fortunately the bird was no longer on
her finger, otherwise its nerves would have been considerably startled.
Hoodie had been on the point of putting her hand into the cage to entice
it to hop on to her finger and thus to lift it out when Martin's summons
came.

"I don't want any tea," she said; "do go away, Martin. You _alvays_
come for me when I don't want