," said she: "they tell me the
bells were ringing for you being found, and then I was found--to
catechism you."

"There! then you see I _am_ older than you, Ruperta."

"Yes, dear," said Ruperta, very gravely; "I'm younger in my body, but
older in my head."

This matter being settled so that neither party could complain, since
antiquity was evenly distributed, the catechizing recommenced.

"Do you believe in 'Let dogs delight?'"

"I don't know."

"What!" screamed Ruperta. "Oh, you wicked boy! Why, it comes next after
the Bible."

"Then I do believe it," said Compton, who, to tell the truth, had been
merely puzzled by the verb, and was not afflicted with any doubt that
the composition referred to was a divine oracle.

"Good boy!" said Ruperta, patronizingly. "Well, then, this is what
puzzles me; your papa and mine don't believe in 'Dogs delight.' They
have been quarreling this twelve years and more, and mean to go on, in
spite of mamma. She _is_ good. Didn't you know that your papa and mine
are great enemies?"

"No, Ruperta. Oh, what a pity!"

"Don't, Compton, don't: there, you have made me cry."

He set himself to console her.

She consented to be consoled.

But she said, with a sigh, "What becomes of old people being better
than young ones, now? Are you and I bears and lions? Do we scratch out
each other's eyes? It is all puzzle, puzzle, puzzle. I wish I was dead!
Nurse says, when I'm dead I shall understand it all. But I don't know;
I saw a dead cat once, and she didn't seem to know as much as before;
puzzle, puzzle. Compton, do you think they are puzzled in heaven?"

"No."

"Then the sooner we both go there, the better."

"Yes, but not just now."

"Why not?"

"Because of the cowslips."

"Here's a boy! What, would you rather be among the cowslips than the
angels? and think of the diamonds and pearls that heaven is paved
with."

"But _you_ mightn't be there."

"What! Am I a wicked girl, then--wickeder than you, that is a boy?"

"Oh no, no, no; but see how big it is up there;" they cast their eyes
up, and, taking the blue vault for creation, were impressed with its
immensity. "I know where to find you here, but up there you might be
ever so far off me."

"La! so I might. Well, then, we had better keep quiet. I suppose we
shall get wiser as we get older. But Compton, I'm so sorry your papa
and mine are bears and lions. Why doesn't the clergyman scold them?"

"Nobody dare scold my papa," s