wish.'

'What was?' said Nuttie.

'That he shouldn't never go and play at Mr. Dutton's again,' said Ellen.

'I told her she was to take her orders off me, and no one else,'
returned nurse, 'except, of course, you, Miss Egremont, as has the
right.'

'Quite so; you should have told Mr. Gregorio so, Ellen.'

'I did, ma'am, but he said those was Mr. Egremont's orders; and he
said,' cried the girl, unable to withstand the pleasure of repeating
something disagreeable, 'that Mr. Egremont wouldn't have no messengers
between you and a low tradesman fellow, as made umbrellas, and wanted
to insinuate himself in here.'

'That's quite enough, Ellen; I don't want to hear any impertinences.
Perhaps you did not understand his foreign accent. Did he say where he
was going?'

'I think he said he'd take him to the Serpentine to sail his ship,'
said Ellen, disposed to carry on asseverations of the correctness of
her report, but nurse ordered her off the scene, and proceeded, as a
confidential servant, 'The girl had no call to repeat it; but there's
not a doubt of it he did say something of the sort. There's not one of
us but knows he is dead against Mr. Dutton, because he tried to get
master to get to sleep without that nasty opium smoke of his.'

There was bitter feud between nurse and valet, and Nuttie could have
exchanged with her many a lament, but she contented herself with
saying, 'I wish he would let Master Alwyn alone. It is high time they
should come in.'

'The child will be tired to death, and all dirt! His nice new sailor
suit too! Going grubbing about at the Serpentine with no one knows
who, as isn't fit for a young gentleman,' moaned nurse.

This, however, was the worst fear she entertained, and it was with a
certain malicious satisfaction that she heard her master's bell for
Gregorio.

Nuttie descended to explain, and whereas the need was not very urgent,
and she looked distressed and angered at the valet, her father received
her complaint with, 'Well, the boy is getting too big to be tied for
ever to a nursery-maid. It will do him good to go about with a man.'

But as dressing-time came on, and still neither Gregorio nor Alwyn
appeared, Mr. Egremont became impatient, and declared that the valet
had no business to keep the child out so long; indeed, he would sooner
have taken alarm but for Nuttie's manifest agony of anxiety, starting
and rushing to listen at every ring at the bell or sound of wheels near